1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
opening another auto dealership in an area that already has a surplus of them seems like a gross fatuity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
local morning DJs lambasted the fatuity of the homeowner who used gasoline to burn a pile of brushwood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in thickness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind
the fatuity of the characters on that TV sitcom actually gets laughs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fatuity
Despite the fatuity of the arguments being posited by the ESG critics, the investment industry is running scared.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2022
Molière escapes fatuity with his candor that what restores a universe unbalanced by intellectual obsession is, most often, normal erotic appetite.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2022
Their work, in and out of power, is to dress up the atavistic avarice and self-serving fatuity of the wealthy people who fund and shape conservative politics as an ideology.
—David Roth, The New Republic, 9 June 2020
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2022
Molière escapes fatuity with his candor that what restores a universe unbalanced by intellectual obsession is, most often, normal erotic appetite.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2022
Their work, in and out of power, is to dress up the atavistic avarice and self-serving fatuity of the wealthy people who fund and shape conservative politics as an ideology.
—David Roth, The New Republic, 9 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatuity
Noun
-
What’s that old saying about the definition of insanity.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
In that case, Bojeh was found not guilty by reason of insanity and later released under conditional supervision.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Set into motion by an innocuous wish, the James family is forced to explore their generational differences, intra-marital conflicts, raging hormones, and professional anxieties, in a complicated web of body-swapping madness.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
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The documentary focuses on the inhabitants of Antarctica, and captures an apparent moment of madness within a colony of Adélie penguins, who endure scathingly harsh conditions in the icy wasteland.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Their midweight thickness offers enough cushion for miles of walking through the streets of New York City, without causing sweat.—
Ali Faccenda,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The thickness of this layer causes light interference effects, giving the fabric a vivid purple appearance similar to the colors seen in soap bubbles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Telling the story of the clashing egos and raging idiocy of the fictional Spinal Tap, Reiner both directed and starred as the filmmaker-within-the-film Marty DiBergi.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
15 Dec. 2025
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Advertisement Aster keenly satirizes Joe’s idiocy in the face of social upheaval through the iconography of Westerns.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The third, set in prehistoric times, is dazzling in its simplicity and dramatic rigor, and could’ve easily done without the others.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The low-to-the-ground shoe was overall a showcase of streamlined simplicity with its lack of embellishment and glove-like fit.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But the comedians also used those laughs to reveal the fundamental absurdity of violence and conflict.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Rather than focusing solely on superpowers, the series leans into the absurdities and insecurities of the entertainment industry, pulling back the curtain on fame, failure, and second chances.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
My love of the theater and my love of the people who dedicate their life to creativity and the kind of highs and lows of that life, and the silliness and stupidity of that life, and the moments of elegiac grace.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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History suggests that the proficient cruelty of such regimes is unable to compensate for the stupidity and incompetence of their cadres.—
Elizabeth Tsurkov,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Navarro devoted a chapter to the seductive foolishness of protectionist trade policies.—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
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The captain of the boat Zoë and Sarah came on watches them from afar, shaking his head at English foolishness.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fatuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatuity. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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