insipid

I1N1S1I1P3I1D2
UK, US/ɪnˈsɪp.ɪd/

adjective

Unappetizingly flavorless.

“The textbook had a most insipid presentation of the controversy.”

UncommonScrabble 10

Meanings

adjectiveinsipid (comparative more insipid, superlative most insipid)

comparative more insipid · superlative most insipid

  1. Unappetizingly flavorless.

    The diners were disappointed with the plain, insipid soup they were served.

    1 more example

    There was no limit on drinks, and the guy next to me tucked away a few G and Ts. I confined myself to a pleasant Brewdog Ale and a glass of slightly insipid wine.

    2025 June 11, Christian Wolmar, “First Class delights with an occasional pang of hunger”, in RAIL, number 1037, page 34

    Synonyms: tasteless, bland, vapid, wearish · Antonyms: savory, savorous, sapid, flavoury, gustable, saporific, saporous, tastable

  2. Flat; lacking character or definition.

    The textbook had a most insipid presentation of the controversy.

    2 more examples

    If the secret history of books could be written, and the author’s private thoughts and meanings noted down alongside of his story, how many insipid volumes would become interesting, and dull tales excite the reader!

    1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 42, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC

    “Look at this festive assembly. All of us, gathered here together, chuckling at jokes and silliness.” [laughter] “And jackanapery.” [rim shots] “I guess there's only one thing left to say. What is this shit?” [rim shot] [laughter] “[laughs] Very good.” “You call yourselves vampires? Bah. This entire evening has been nothing but a pageant of insipid nonsense.” “[laughing] Yes.” “Worshipping at the altar of your own mediocre frivolity. A jester's hollow dance. And who is laughing?” “Yeah! [whoops] [grunts]” “Vampires are supposed to have blood orgies and slaughter circles. Gah! You have all gone soft. You even invited humans to this asinine affair.”

    2023 August 24, Sarah Naftalis & Lauren Wells, “The Roast” (8:36 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 5, episode 8, spoken by Baron Afanas (Doug Jones)

    Synonyms: boring, vacuous, dull, bland, vapid, characterless, colourless

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveFlat; lacking character or definition.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivelacking taste or flavor or tang

adjectivelacking interest or significance or impact

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*sep-
  6. Proto-Italic*sapjō
  7. Latinsapiō
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  9. Latinsapidus
  10. Latinīnsipidu
  11. Frenchinsipide
  12. Englishinsipid

From French insipide, from Latin īnsipidus (“tasteless”), from in- (“not”) + sapidus (“savory”). In some senses, perhaps influenced by insipient (“unwise, foolish, stupid”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἄγευστος, πλαδαρός
  • ἄγευστος (ágeustos)unappetizingly flavorless
  • πλαδαρός (pladarós)flat; lacking character or definition
Bulgarian безвкусен, блудкав
  • безвкусен (bezvkusen)unappetizingly flavorless
  • блудкав (bludkav)unappetizingly flavorless
  • безинтересен (bezinteresen)flat; lacking character or definition
Catalan insípid, insípid
  • insípidunappetizingly flavorless
  • insípidflat; lacking character or definition
Czech mdlý
  • mdlýunappetizingly flavorless
Danish smagløs, fersk
  • smagløsunappetizingly flavorless
  • ferskunappetizingly flavorless
Dutch flauw, smaakloos
  • flauwunappetizingly flavorless
  • smaakloosunappetizingly flavorless
  • smakeloosunappetizingly flavorless
  • karakterloosflat; lacking character or definition
Finnish mauton, lattea
  • mautonunappetizingly flavorless
  • latteaunappetizingly flavorless
  • mautonflat; lacking character or definition
  • latteaflat; lacking character or definition
  • valjuflat; lacking character or definition
  • mielenkiinnotonflat; lacking character or definition
French insipide, insipide
  • insipideunappetizingly flavorless
  • insipideflat; lacking character or definition
German fade, lasch
  • fadeunappetizingly flavorless
  • laschunappetizingly flavorless
  • abgestandenunappetizingly flavorless
  • charakterlosflat; lacking character or definition
  • geschmacklosflat; lacking character or definition
  • stumpfsinnigflat; lacking character or definition
  • geistlosflat; lacking character or definition
Greek άνοστος, άγευστος
  • άνοστος (ánostos)unappetizingly flavorless
  • άγευστος (ágefstos)unappetizingly flavorless
  • ανούσιος (anoúsios)flat; lacking character or definition
  • άνοστος (ánostos)flat; lacking character or definition
Irish leamh
  • leamhunappetizingly flavorless
Italian insipido
  • insipidounappetizingly flavorless
Latin insulsus, frigidus
  • insulsusunappetizingly flavorless
  • frigidusflat; lacking character or definition
Māori hākore, makiha
  • hākoreunappetizingly flavorless
  • makihaunappetizingly flavorless
  • mākihakihaunappetizingly flavorless
  • kōwhauunappetizingly flavorless
Norwegian flau, smakløs
  • flauunappetizingly flavorless
  • smakløsunappetizingly flavorless
Persian ویشیل, بیمزه
  • ویشیل (višil)unappetizingly flavorless
  • بیمزه (bi-maze)unappetizingly flavorless
Polish mdły, bezbarwny
  • mdłyunappetizingly flavorless
  • bezbarwnyflat; lacking character or definition
  • nudnyflat; lacking character or definition
Portuguese insípido, insípido
  • insípidounappetizingly flavorless
  • insípidoflat; lacking character or definition
Romanian fără gust, insipid
  • fără gustunappetizingly flavorless
  • insipidunappetizingly flavorless
  • fadunappetizingly flavorless
  • searbădunappetizingly flavorless
  • fără caracterflat; lacking character or definition
  • insipidflat; lacking character or definition
  • anostflat; lacking character or definition
Russian безвку́сный, пре́сный
  • безвку́сный (bezvkúsnyj)unappetizingly flavorless
  • пре́сный (présnyj)unappetizingly flavorless
  • ску́чный (skúčnyj)flat; lacking character or definition
  • неинтере́сный (neinterésnyj)flat; lacking character or definition
  • пло́ский (plóskij)flat; lacking character or definition
Scottish Gaelic ana-blasta, ana-blasta
  • ana-blastaunappetizingly flavorless
  • ana-blastaflat; lacking character or definition
Slovak mdlý
  • mdlýunappetizingly flavorless
Spanish insípido, insulso
  • insípidounappetizingly flavorless
  • insulsoflat; lacking character or definition
  • sosoflat; lacking character or definition
Swedish smaklös, fadd
  • smaklösunappetizingly flavorless
  • faddunappetizingly flavorless
Tagalog mayapa
  • mayapaunappetizingly flavorless
Thai จืด, จืด
  • จืด (jʉ̀ʉt)unappetizingly flavorless
  • จืด (jʉ̀ʉt)flat; lacking character or definition
Ukrainian несмачний, прісний
  • несмачний (nesmačnyj)unappetizingly flavorless
  • прісний (prisnyj)unappetizingly flavorless
  • нудний (nudnyj)flat; lacking character or definition
  • нецікавий (necikavyj)flat; lacking character or definition
  • без смаку (bez smaku)flat; lacking character or definition
  • плоский (ploskyj)flat; lacking character or definition
  • прі́сний (prísnyj)flat; lacking character or definition
Cite this entry
APA

insipid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insipid

MLA

“insipid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insipid. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “insipid,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insipid.

Source: insipid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.