meaningless

adjective

mean·​ing·​less ˈmē-niŋ-ləs 

1

: having no meaning

especially : lacking any significance

2

: having no assigned function in a language system

meaninglessly adverb

meaninglessness noun

Synonyms

• 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

Without fairness, the test (and winning) becomes meaningless—and for the rest of us, a huge bummer. —Lindsey Witmer Collins, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

The protester specifically said a letter Casten signed that day along with more than 90 other House Democrats, demanding an investigation into starvation reports in Gaza, was meaningless. —Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025

When immigrants cannot safely attend court hearings, immigration law, if not our very Constitution, becomes meaningless. —Murad Awawdeh, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025

These words are meaningless without specific behaviors attached to them. —Brendan Keegan, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2025

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