Pablum - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Pablum refers to bland, overly simplistic ideas or writing, often intended to be easily digestible but lacking substance. It can also mean trivial or insipid content.
Definition:
Bland, overly simplistic ideas or writing, often intended to be easily digestible.
Synonyms:
drivel, pap, claptrap, twaddle
Part of Speech:
noun
Antonyms:
profundity, sophistication
Common Collocations:
intellectual pablum, political pablum, cultural pablum
Derivatives:
pabular (rare), pabulum (variant)
Usage Tips:
Use "pablum" to criticize content lacking depth or substance, often in media or discourse.
Common Phrases:
mental pablum, emotional pablum, ideological pablum
Etymology:
From Latin "pabulum" (food, fodder), later a trademark for bland baby cereal.
Examples:
- 1. The article was dismissed as intellectual pablum by critics.
- 2. Parents often feed babies pablum as their first solid food.
- 3. His speech was full of political pablum and empty promises.
- 4. She criticized the movie’s plot as sentimental pablum for the masses.