platitudinous

[ plat-i-tood-n-uhs, -tyood- ]

adjective

1. characterized by or given to platitudes.
2. of the nature of or resembling a platitude.

Other Words From

• plati·tudi·nous·ly adverb
• plati·tudi·nous·ness noun
• nonplat·i·tudi·nous adjective
• nonplat·i·tudi·nous·ly adverb
• unplat·i·tudi·nous adjective
• unplat·i·tudi·nous·ly adverb
• unplat·i·tudi·nous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of platitudinous¹

1855–60; platitude + -inous ( platitudinal, -ous )

Example Sentences

The song that resulted in this frantic, logistically improbable session is stirring but callow, with a gospel-style chord progression that gives false weight to the platitudinous lyrics.

From New York Times

The young Ruth, sounding both wise and platitudinous, reminds him that “life is just what it is. All we can do is work hard and love hard, try to do the right things without letting our ego trip us up, and hope the boogeymen stay away for another day.”

From Washington Post

As the battle between these cartoon villains and Nate goes to court, the writing becomes painfully platitudinous, skating around the real controversies surrounding the domestication of intelligent primates.

From New York Times

Rivera could do only, perhaps, what he was good at: working, fulfilling commissions, and organizing human types and platitudinous dogma into impressively complex, large-scale compositions.

From Washington Post

Its Olympian tone made it a perennial touchstone at those political occasions requiring platitudinous wisdom.

From Literature