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

But for a college freshman with a Venmo balance and a favorite team, the distinction is meaningless. — Emily Stack, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

On the surface to the casual fan, Saturday night’s preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals was a meaningless exhibition smack-dab in the middle of one of the toughest months of the year for football fans. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2026

Words are meaningless if employees can’t see the expectation in action. — Melissa Daimler, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Jared Sternberg, founder of Gondwana Ecotours, argues that comparing Alaska to Phoenix is meaningless. — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

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