To hammer one golden grain of wit into a sheet of
infinite platitude. --Motley.
[1913 Webster]
2. A thought or remark which is flat, dull, trite, or weak; a truism; a commonplace. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
platitude — [ platityd ] n. f. • 1694; de 1. plat 1 ♦ Caractère de ce qui est plat, sans originalité. ⇒ médiocrité. « Le monde est voué sans appel à la platitude, à la médiocrité » (Renan). ♢ UNE PLATITUDE. ⇒ banalité, fadaise. Débiter des platitudes. « une… … Encyclopédie Universelle
platitude — [plat′ə to͞od΄, plat′ətyo͞od΄] n. [Fr < OFr plat, flat (see PLATE), infl. by latitude, rectitude] 1. a commonplace, flat, or dull quality, as in speech or writing 2. a commonplace or trite remark, esp. one uttered as if it were fresh or… … English World dictionary
platitude — (n.) 1812, dullness, from Fr. platitude flatness, vapidness (late 17c.), from O.Fr. plat flat (see PLATE (Cf. plate)); formed on analogy of latitude, attitude, etc. Meaning a flat, dull, or commonplace remark is recorded from 1815. Related:… … Etymology dictionary
platitude — s. f. 1. [Galicismo] Falta de originalidade, banalidade. 2. [Figurado] Sensaboria, trivialidade. 3. Vulgaridade. 4. Monotonia, uniformidade. ‣ Etimologia: francês platitude … Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa
platitude — Platitude. s. f. Ce qui fait qu une chose est platte. Il n a d usage qu en parlant de discours, de style, des productions d esprit, &c. Tout ce qu il escrit, tout ce qu il dit est d une grande platitude … Dictionnaire de l'Académie française
Platitude — (franz., spr. tǖd ), Plattheit … Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
Platitude — (frz., spr. tühd), Plattheit (im Ausdruck) … Kleines Konversations-Lexikon
Platitude — (–tühd), frz., Gemeinheit … Herders Conversations-Lexikon
platitude — noun absence of meaning, banality, cliche, commonplace expression, commonplace idea, commonplace phrase, dearth of ideas, dull comment, flat saying, hackneyed expression, hackneyed idea, hackneyed phrase, hackneyed saying, inanity, insipid remark … Law dictionary
platitude — *commonplace, truism, bromide, cliché Analogous words: banality, inanity, vapidity, insipidity (see corresponding adjectives at INSIPID): mawkishness, sentimentality (see corresponding adjectives at SENTIMENTAL) … New Dictionary of Synonyms
