flippant

adj

Etymology: 1595, from Northern English dialectal flippand (“prattling, babbling, glib”), present participle of flip (“to babble”), of North Germanic origin. Cognate with Icelandic fleipa (“to babble, prattle”), Swedish dialectal flepa (“to talk nonsense”). Alteration of -and suffix (a variant of the participial -ing) to -ant probably due to influence from words in -ant.

1. Showing disrespect through a casual attitude, levity, and a lack of due seriousness; pert.

   “a sort of flippant, vain discourse”

   “The conversations had grown more adult over the years—she was less flippant, at least.”

2. Loquacious; speaking with ease and rapidity.

   “November 5, 1673, Isaac Barrow, sermon on the Gunpowder Treason It becometh good men, in such cases, to be pleasantly flippant and free in their speech.”

3. Nimble; limber.