Synonyms of vacuous

vacuous

adjective

ˈva-kyə-wəs 

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

• devoid
• empty
• barren
• blank
• vacant
• void
• hollow
• clean
• drained
• stark
• bare
• emptied
• toom
• open
• deserted
• uninhabited
• unfilled
• clear
• available
• free
• unoccupied
• depleted
• dry
• unfurnished
• unattended
• exhausted
• vacated
• abandoned
• forsaken

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• full
• complete
• replete
• provided
• filled
• furnished
• occupied
• supplied
• overflowing
• packed
• flush
• teeming

2

as in dumb

not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily

a movie that was enthusiastically derided for its vacuous dialogue

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dumb
• stupid
• slow
• simple
• thick
• dull
• dense
• idiotic
• fatuous
• foolish
• ignorant
• unintelligent
• mindless
• dopey
• doltish
• obtuse
• brainless
• witless
• silly
• brain-dead
• opaque
• soft
• dim
• empty-headed
• oafish
• pinheaded
• senseless
• irrational
• dunderheaded
• lamebrain
• boneheaded
• thickheaded
• gormless
• unreasonable
• dorky
• dopy
• weak-minded
• softheaded
• airheaded
• insane
• bonehead
• lamebrained
• dim-witted
• mad
• idiotical
• bubbleheaded
• moronic
• crazy
• lunkheaded
• half-witted
• thick-witted
• slow-witted
• chuckleheaded
• unsmart
• knuckleheaded
• looney
• cretinous
• absurd
• imbecilic
• birdbrained
• imbecile
• simpleminded
• unintellectual
• uninformed
• feebleminded
• uneducated
• unthinking
• nonsensical
• lowbrow
• asinine
• fool
• illogical
• illiterate
• zany
• loony
• dippy
• preposterous
• cuckoo
• daffy
• whacky
• untaught
• kooky
• wacky
• daft
• invalid
• fallacious
• sappy
• nutty
• unwise
• dotty
• harebrained
• crackpot
• balmy
• screwball
• half-baked
• cockeyed
• boobish
• tomfool
• kookie
• featherheaded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• brilliant
• intelligent
• clever
• bright
• apt
• quick
• smart
• sharp
• ingenious
• acute
• fast
• intellectual
• nimble
• keen
• resourceful
• wise
• cerebral
• insightful
• thinking
• brainy
• astute
• perceptive
• erudite
• sagacious
• knowing
• savvy
• scholarly
• keen
• discerning
• knowledgeable
• quick-witted
• literate
• sharp-witted
• sage
• skilled
• ultrasmart
• supersmart
• hyperintelligent
• learned
• perspicacious
• sound
• highbrow
• educated
• informed
• cunning
• shrewd
• reasonable
• sensible
• logical
• valid
• trained
• wily
• sapient
• crafty
• rational
• percipient
• sane
• prudent
• judicious
• well-read
• foxy
• schooled

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vacuous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vacuous are blank, empty, vacant, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When is it sensible to use blank instead of vacuous?

In some situations, the words blank and vacuous are roughly equivalent. However, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

In what contexts can empty take the place of vacuous?

The meanings of empty and vacuous largely overlap; however, empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

Where would vacant be a reasonable alternative to vacuous?

The words vacant and vacuous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

When would void be a good substitute for vacuous?

The synonyms void and vacuous are sometimes interchangeable, but void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of vacuous

These are the hallmarks of the Alien franchise, which have remained mostly consistent across the seven movies (plus two vacuous Alien vs. Predator crossovers) that have kept those terrifying Xenomorphs coming back to our screens every decade since the original premiered in 1979. —Judy Berman, Time, 5 Aug. 2025

Bateman's seething anger at having his card bested by that of his colleague Paul Allen (Jared Leto), despite the two cards looking almost identical, satirized the vacuous materialism of 1980s yuppie culture. —New Atlas, 9 June 2025

In recent months, a more nebulous and vacuous kind of assessment has been entering into the AI vocabulary. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025

Slim, serious, and searching, Hunting in America revolves around some major topics right now: the experience of our inter-country relations, gun usage in our country, and the vacuous void at the center of one’s quest for power and meaning in America. —Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2025

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