- Today's Word
Vapid
VAP-id
Definition
(adjective) Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; dull.
Example
The dialogue in the film was so vapid it became unintentionally comedic.
Fun Fact
Vapid originally described drinks that had lost their fizz—flat wine, stale beer. Over time, it broadened to describe anything mentally or emotionally dull. Today it’s used by critics to describe uninspired writing, lifeless performances, or empty political rhetoric. In short, it’s the word for anything that should feel alive—but doesn’t.
(adjective) Giving a sign or warning that something momentous, often negative, is likely to happen; ominous.
The sudden silence before the storm felt portentous, as if the air itself were holding its breath.
Portentous comes from the Latin portentosus, meaning “full of omens,” derived from portentum, a sign or warning of future events. In ancient times, portents were believed to be messages from the gods—unusual natural occurrences that signaled major change, disaster, or destiny.