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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vacuous
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
People feel free to throw out the first, poorly-thought-out, vacuous reaction to any news story — whether based in fact or fiction, and regardless of negative consequences.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 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
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
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
People feel free to throw out the first, poorly-thought-out, vacuous reaction to any news story — whether based in fact or fiction, and regardless of negative consequences.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 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
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
-
Paige is little more than a dumb blonde stereotype, another underwritten female character in Sheridan’s growing oeuvre, but Chapman laces her babyish whining with surprising bite, while showing a knack for physical comedy.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2026
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How did an Ivy League grad from Penn get so dumb?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There are some players in the NBA who couldn’t hit 50 out of 100 three-pointers in an empty gym, Redick said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Further announcements on Tuesday and in coming days from other cities about other reward increases and offers for fugitives who will fill empty spots on the list are expected, the agency said.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
End these stupid, senseless wars.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Most of the films that came after are ridiculous and stupid.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For one thing, the landscape is barren, the trees have yet to blossom and the lawns are all brown.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
James Walker Tufts, the Boston soda entrepreneur and philanthropist, surely sensed it while traveling through the area at the end of the 19th century, prompting him to buy 5,800 acres in the Sandhills that had been left barren by lumber harvesting.—
Caleb Silver,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Experiencing that life cycle of knowing where my food comes from and watching my uncles do the butchering and then eating it the same day through slow roasting was really impactful for me as a kid.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps both movements could have animated each other; perhaps the subsequent fight for women’s suffrage would have been less sporadic and slow.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Engineers have developed a simple strategy to help robots remain stable while repairing satellites in orbit by using a second robotic arm to counterbalance movements.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
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Don’t be afraid to suggest budget caps for group plans, because everyone relaxes when guidelines are simple and visible.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Often called the Butterfly Nebula or the Bug Nebula, this object displays a striking structure involving two bright gas lobes extending in opposite directions, separated by a thick, dusty ring—known as a torus—around the central star.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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Remove thick, dense piles of wet and matted leaves, or consider gently fluffing them up with a rake.—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacuous. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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