meaningless

adjective

mean·​ing·​less ˈmē-niŋ-ləs 

1

: having no meaning

especially : lacking any significance

felt his work was meaningless

2

: having no assigned function in a language system

meaninglessly adverb

meaninglessness noun

Synonyms of meaningless

• pointless
• absurd
• stupid
• inane
• silly
• irrational
• empty
• foolish

Examples of meaningless in a Sentence

He felt that his work was meaningless.

The movie was filled with meaningless violence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yearly stats smooth out to a somewhat meaningless middle. —Michael Salfino, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025

The high school season was over, save for a meaningless rainout makeup of a conference game against Oakcrest. —Ben Watanabe, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025

The color of one’s skin, by all accounts, now meaningless. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025

In this case, insight leads a once-meaningless image to gain meaning, going against the brain’s predictions. —Nora Bradford, Quanta Magazine, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

meaningless

adjective

mean·​ing·​less ˈmē-niŋ-ləs 

1

: having no meaning or significance

meaningless chatter

2

: lacking motive

a meaningless murder

meaninglessly adverb

meaninglessness noun