Vapid describes something that has nothing inside it — no ideas, no feeling, no interest. A vapid film is one you forget while you are still walking out of the cinema. A vapid conversation is thirty minutes of talking where nothing was really said. A vapid smile is a smile with no thought or warmth behind it, just the face doing its job.

Vapid describes something that has nothing inside itvapid 形容的是那種裡面什麼都沒有的東西 — no ideas, no feeling, no interest沒有想法、沒有感情、沒有意思。A vapid film is one you forget while you are still walking out of the cinemavapid 的電影是那種你走出電影院時就已經忘記的電影。A vapid conversation is thirty minutes of talking where nothing was really saidvapid 的對話是聊了三十分鐘，卻什麼都沒真正說到的那種。A vapid smile is a smile with no thought or warmth behind it, just the face doing its jobvapid 的笑容是背後沒有任何想法或溫度的笑容，只是臉在做它該做的動作。

The important thing is what kind of criticism this is. Vapid does not mean bad in a loud way. A terrible film can be exciting; a vapid one is just empty. It is not stupid either, exactly — a vapid person may speak fluently and look fine, but nothing they say has any weight. That is what makes the word cutting. You are saying: there is no there there.

The important thing is what kind of criticism this is重點是這是哪一種批評。Vapid does not mean bad in a loud wayvapid 不是說那種很張揚、很誇張的差。A terrible film can be exciting一部很爛的電影可以是刺激的; a vapid one is just emptyvapid 的電影只是空洞而已。It is not stupid either, exactly它也不完全等於笨 — a vapid person may speak fluently and look fine一個 vapid 的人可能講話很流利、看起來也沒問題, but nothing they say has any weight但他說的話沒有任何份量。That is what makes the word cutting這就是這個字之所以尖銳的地方。You are saying: there is no there there你其實是在說：這裡面根本什麼都沒有。

It is a formal, written word. Critics use it about films, songs, books, speeches, and famous people. In everyday speech Taiwanese students are more likely to hear "empty", "boring", or "there's nothing to it". If you say vapid out loud in a casual chat, it sounds educated and a little cold.

It它 is a formal, written word是個正式、書面的字。Critics評論家 use it about films, songs, books, speeches, and famous people會用它來評論電影、歌曲、書、演講和名人。In everyday speech在日常對話裡 Taiwanese students are more likely to hear台灣學生比較會聽到的是 "empty", "boring", or "there's nothing to it"「empty」、「boring」，或「there's nothing to it」。If you say vapid out loud in a casual chat如果你在輕鬆聊天時把 vapid 說出口, it sounds educated and a little cold聽起來會很有學問，但也有點冷。

One more note: it is quite a rude word about a person. Calling a film vapid is normal criticism. Calling a person vapid says they have no inner life. Be careful where you point it.

One more note還有一點要注意: it is quite a rude word about a person拿它來說人其實滿不客氣的。Calling a film vapid is normal criticism說一部電影 vapid，是正常的評論。Calling a person vapid says they have no inner life說一個人 vapid，等於是在說他沒有內在的精神生活。Be careful where you point it用的時候要小心對象。