1
as in superficial
having or showing a lack of depth of understanding or character
the movie takes a facile look at what happens when teens enter into serious romantic relationships
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in easy
involving minimal difficulty or effort
a few early facile victories misled the country into thinking that the war would be short and relatively painless
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of facile
Demonizing the delta smelt was — and is — a way to make facile points to uninformed voters by suggesting that the interests of what appears to be an unimportant fish are somehow elevated above those of human residents.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Coppola’s emphasis on white protagonist Cesar is, in Hollywood liberal terms, facile and archaic.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
The benefit of all of this, of course, is a shift toward recognizing, at least in the zeitgeist, the seemingly facile truth: that moms have identities and desires beyond being moms.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 24 May 2024
The commentary on social media is mostly facile, although a humiliating trick played on Nikki is devilishly funny and some of the flashback-recap sequences make zippy use of online video.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for facile
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Coppola’s emphasis on white protagonist Cesar is, in Hollywood liberal terms, facile and archaic.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
The benefit of all of this, of course, is a shift toward recognizing, at least in the zeitgeist, the seemingly facile truth: that moms have identities and desires beyond being moms.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 24 May 2024
The commentary on social media is mostly facile, although a humiliating trick played on Nikki is devilishly funny and some of the flashback-recap sequences make zippy use of online video.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for facile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facile
Adjective
-
The damage looked superficial, while the rider himself was laid-back.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
-
Unfortunately, many of these individuals are disillusioned with the traditional path and are enticed by the allure of fast money, luxurious lifestyles, and superficial beauty without any effort or hard work.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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However, some will still find this airport to be easier, given the unmatched flight availability to and from Cancún.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
19 July 2025
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The scoring was lower, nearly two shots easier than the opening round.—
Doug Ferguson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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And that reactivity leads to poor decisions, inconsistent follow-through, and shallow innovation.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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Then sawfish began washing up dead in the same shallow waters, launching an unusual rescue effort.—
Jenny Staletovich,
Miami Herald,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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Looking for their environmental DNA in scales, slime or skin cells that living beings shed all the time is a simpler way, Workman said.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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The simple solution is wearing regular ballet flats, whether they’re made from leather, satin, or something else.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Thumbsticks on both Joy-Con 2s feel smoother, although there's still no use of Hall effect or tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) to eliminate drift risk.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
20 July 2025
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Things were a lot smoother for Royals starter Kris Bubic.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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For years, the equation seemed simple: look for the cheapest fare, even if the trip was mediocre.—
Wilson Santiago Burgos,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
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Prospect Capital is now the cheapest BDC on the market, trading at just 46% of NAV.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Facile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facile. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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