inanity

noun

inan·​i·​ty i-ˈna-nə-tē How to pronounce inanity (audio)
plural inanities
1
: the quality or state of being inane: such as
a
: vapid, pointless, or fatuous character : shallowness
b
: lack of substance : emptiness
2
: something that is inane

Example Sentences

quickly realized that her suggestion was an inanity and withdrew it the jaw-dropping inanity of the singer's comments on the awards show
Recent Examples on the Web Consider yourselves warned—and feel free to laugh at the inanity of it all. Wired, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2023 Listen to the whole thing to fully appreciate its inanity. Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2013 On the other hand, there's Utah: a bastion of inanity, where that ol timey sagebrush mentality never dies. Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2010 For all the inanity, though, the prediction markets are generally quite accurate. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2022 For those who worry that the inconsistency and inanity of the roughing the passer calls will somehow damage the game, or cause people to stop watching, please. Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2022 And Murphy restrains himself from abusing it with the kind of baroque inanity that makes so many of his recent shows so exhausting. Time, 14 Oct. 2022 His targets — the self-regarding follies of the uber-rich, the inanity of social media, beauty as currency — are so broad and shiny that the occasional dip feels almost inevitable. Leah Greenblatt And Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 7 Oct. 2022 For the rest of us, the series has been—admit it—a frustrating combination of crap-your-pants nostalgic delight and near-complete story/character/fight scene inanity. Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 21 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inanity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inanity was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near inanity

Cite this Entry

“Inanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inanity. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

inanity

noun
inan·​i·​ty in-ˈan-ət-ē How to pronounce inanity (audio)
plural inanities
1
: the quality or state of being inane
2
: something inane

More from Merriam-Webster on inanity

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