facetious

fuh-SEE-shuss

meaning in plain English

Making jokes about something serious in a way that doesn’t fit the moment.

Imagine a clown at a funeral being facetious—making jokes that just don’t fit the serious moment.

for example

When the teacher said the test was hard, Jake joked about failing to be facetious.

If someone uses facetious comments, they’re joking when they should be serious. Why would you crack a joke at a funeral? Because some people just can’t help being facetious.