1
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
a great vacuous space that should have been filled with an audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
a movie that was enthusiastically derided for its vacuous dialogue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vacuous
One suspects that development is not intended to underline how incredibly vacuous and petulant these central characters appear, when we’re meant to regard them as soulful soulmates.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025
The last thing the British royal family will be interested in is Meghan's inauthentic, cringey, vacuous celebrity cookery reality show.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Few commentators have paid much attention to these parallels, partly because the two presidents’ personalities are so different, partly because paying tribute to Reagan has long been a vacuous ritual for Republican candidates.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
As Paul Fussell observed in The Great War and Modern Memory, a distrust of vacuous language was a hallmark of the words on tombstones at the Somme, not the solemn slogans written by Rudyard Kipling but the inscriptions composed by the families of the dead.
—Karen Parker Lears, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025
The last thing the British royal family will be interested in is Meghan's inauthentic, cringey, vacuous celebrity cookery reality show.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Few commentators have paid much attention to these parallels, partly because the two presidents’ personalities are so different, partly because paying tribute to Reagan has long been a vacuous ritual for Republican candidates.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
As Paul Fussell observed in The Great War and Modern Memory, a distrust of vacuous language was a hallmark of the words on tombstones at the Somme, not the solemn slogans written by Rudyard Kipling but the inscriptions composed by the families of the dead.
—Karen Parker Lears, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacuous
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Friendships built on insecurity, where men constantly have to prove their manhood, are a breeding ground for toxic attitudes and stupid decision-making.—
Terry Ward,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
-
That was the result of a stupid Obama-era rule that claimed a benefit to climate change (the biggest scam ever perpetrated on humanity) by restricting water flow through shower heads and faucets.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Imagine nearly every seat in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center − over 20,000 seats − are empty.—
Kymberlee Montgomery,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
On a rainy morning, the restaurant, made up of a few four-seat tables leading to the stage area, was mostly empty.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
Charlie Parker’s Favorite Painting (1946) indicates Abercrombie’s engagement with social issues: a yellow noose, nearly fluorescent against a dishwater sky, dangles from a barren tree—an oblique lament from the doggedly antiracist Abercrombie.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
ARTnews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Meanwhile, the patch of skin to the ’22 trophy’s left looks almost barren.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The building Celine now occupies what used to be a slow pop-up for Dior and Loro Piana.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Of the slow, unsexy work of loving someone even in the worst times.—
Ruhama Wolle,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Will people be more open and accept that a simple, inexpensive date isn’t the sign of low effort but rather a reflection of the economy none of us asked for?—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
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Its second life on streaming has guided new viewers to the simple charms of one of the best mystery shows of all time.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This beautiful Easter garland, on sale for $79.99 at Wayfair, is opulent and thick with twigs and pastel eggs that run throughout.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Twangy bass lines thick enough to saw down a redwood tree are shredded with shivers of electric guitar to create a blues sound that cuts a hole straight through the decades.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacuous. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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