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 dumb
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
In the Middle East, Moscow’s old claim to be an indispensable broker appears totally vacuous.
—
Jeremy Shapiro, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
Enclosed by barriers and protected by African guards who call out to each other like a Greek chorus, the headquarters that house Horn, Cal, and his team operates as a vacuous black hole of containers and equipment.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
Gavras, working from a script he co-wrote with Pulitzer-finalist playwright Will Arbery, seems to be poking fun at the vacuous postures of the oligarch class, just as Ruben Östlund and many other filmmakers have in recent years.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Fallon, for his part, plays his usual role of affable if vacuous host.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
Jeremy Shapiro, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
Enclosed by barriers and protected by African guards who call out to each other like a Greek chorus, the headquarters that house Horn, Cal, and his team operates as a vacuous black hole of containers and equipment.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
Gavras, working from a script he co-wrote with Pulitzer-finalist playwright Will Arbery, seems to be poking fun at the vacuous postures of the oligarch class, just as Ruben Östlund and many other filmmakers have in recent years.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Fallon, for his part, plays his usual role of affable if vacuous host.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
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
-
That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Okay, there's trying something new and then there's just being dumb.—
Samantha Highfill,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
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Why portray Dorothy as a doe-eyed ding-a-ling; as not just naive but dumb?—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
By the time Rasmus Dahlin’s empty-net goal hit the back of the net to complete his hat trick and put the finishing touch on Buffalo’s 7-4 lead, there weren’t enough Leafs fans left in the building to boo.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The gas station was mostly empty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For a free-market type, Magness implies here that markets are quite stupid.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
18 Jan. 2026
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Protecting his naive and stupid friend.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The president cites national security concerns—despite existing approvals to expand militarily—and the potentially rich natural resources on the icy, largely barren territory.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
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And where there was once snow and ice just a few decades ago, there are now areas of shrub, along with barren rock and wetlands, the 2024 study reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has decided that the pace of EV sales is far too slow and has proposed a new category of small and seriously affordable cars.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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States and cities that have loosened building constraints are already seeing slower rent growth compared to heavily regulated markets.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Even as Trump looks to boost American hydrocarbon profits in Venezuela, the gas tap for Europe is a simple – and likely effective – tool that could be used as leverage by the White House.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
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Brooklyn Councilmember Lincoln Restler participated in a double red blood cell donation, calling it a simple but powerful way to help others.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What remains, the thick, black, and dense oil, required special techniques to be brought to the surface.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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As a Boston native, Stone’s accent is thicker than chowdah, bless her, with a laugh that lilts like a fly ball onto Lansdowne Street.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacuous. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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