facetious
- 1Joking or not meant to be taken seriously, especially treating a serious subject with humor that is out of place.
I was only being facetious when I said we should cancel the wedding because of the rain.
When the manager asked how we could save the failing project, Tom's facetious suggestion that we all quit and open a bakery did not go over well.
Oppositeserious, earnest, solemn, grave
Note
The joking can be welcome, as in a facetious toast or letter that amuses without giving offense. More often today the word blames humor aimed at the wrong moment, and only the setting tells the reader which kind of joking is in play.
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Origin
Latin facētus ("witty, jocose, facetious") gave facētia ("jest, wit, humor"), the source of French facétieux, which English adopted.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Latin facētus means “witty, jocose, facetious.” en.wiktionary.org
- Latin facētia derives from facētus. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin facētia means “jest, wit, humor.” en.wiktionary.org
- English facetious was adopted from French facétieux, ultimately from Latin facētia. en.wiktionary.org