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 some ways, that Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is this vacuous and one-dimensional feels like progress.
—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Maybe John-John was a vacuous jock type, but even hunks have souls.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
The book is padded out by big type, airy leading and slight, vacuous tributes to the likes of Gregory Peck and Truman Capote produced for organs like the American Film Institute or the Book of the Month club.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Hollywood, having decided that no spectacle is too vacuous, no common denominator too low, has aligned itself with OneTaste.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Maybe John-John was a vacuous jock type, but even hunks have souls.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
The book is padded out by big type, airy leading and slight, vacuous tributes to the likes of Gregory Peck and Truman Capote produced for organs like the American Film Institute or the Book of the Month club.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Hollywood, having decided that no spectacle is too vacuous, no common denominator too low, has aligned itself with OneTaste.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacuous
Adjective
-
The island is devoid of high rises and fast-food restaurants.
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The play, intentionally devoid of physical male characters, focuses on women's stories, sisterhood, and reclaiming one's life.
Adjective
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And the script’s very cute but deeply dumb leading man, Alex (Nico Carney), climbs a flight of stairs toward his best friend’s bedroom door.
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And there are no ego-destroying confrontations with people who know how to do things, who tell you that your idea is dumb.
Adjective
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Vines have grown through the fence and barbed wire surrounding a tall art deco building in this city’s downtown, and cigarette holders and empty food tins litter the tall weeds.
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Inside, there’s an empty dining room.
Adjective
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But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
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White can believe Hokit said something stupid and still believe fighters should be allowed to speak for themselves.
Adjective
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The missile flew northeast and then banked and began flying in loops for hours over the barren, frozen landscape.
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Some would eventually be moved to a cruise ship rented by the government, while others were stationed at nondescript military outposts that sprung up in the barren hills around the edges of Nuuk.
Adjective
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The Virgo moon invites you to take a slower pace today.
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The Targaryen civil war has been a bit of a slow burn so far, though both sides of the family have suffered major casualties.
Adjective
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The questions Campbell needs to answer are simple.
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Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple.
Adjective
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The fire initially grew into a huge inferno, creating a pillar of thick, black smoke that could be seen for miles.
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That thick, ugly vein, the shrimp feeling, was gone.
Cite this Entry
“Vacuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacuous. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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