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GRE vocabulary

jejune

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore J words

lacking substance or maturity; naive and simplistic

Word origin: From Latin jejunus, fasting or meager.

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In a sentence

Jejune in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing jejune in a sentence.

The professor dismissed the essay as a jejune restatement of ideas she had heard from freshmen for years.

The reviewer dismissed the manifesto as jejune, full of slogans but empty of any developed thought.

Antonyms
maturesubstantialsophisticated

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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence

Reviewers noted that the novelist, once known for blank prose, had pared her sentences down until scarcely a superfluous word remained.

Select the two answers that give the sentence the same meaning. 0 of 2 selected.

Usage & nuance

Using “jejune” well

Jejune carries two senses: lacking substance and lacking maturity. Both are negative, and they contrast with substantial and sophisticated.

Common questions

Questions about “jejune”

Jejune (adjective) means lacking substance or maturity; naive and simplistic
Here is jejune used in an example sentence: "The professor dismissed the essay as a jejune restatement of ideas she had heard from freshmen for years." Another example: "The reviewer dismissed the manifesto as jejune, full of slogans but empty of any developed thought."
Common synonyms for jejune include insipid, puerile, vapid.
Antonyms of jejune include mature, substantial, sophisticated.
Jejune clusters with insipid, puerile, and vapid in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms mature, substantial, and sophisticated mark the contrast.
Yes. Jejune is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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