fatuity

noun

fə-ˈtü-ət-ē How to pronounce fatuity (audio)
Definition of fatuitynext
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

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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

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3
as in obtuseness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind the fatuity of the characters on that TV sitcom actually gets laughs

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatuity
  1. insanity
  2. madness
  3. thickness
  4. idiocy
  5. simplicity
  6. stupidness
  7. absurdity
  8. unwisdom
Noun
  • Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to three counts of murder in the killings of her children Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • While known as lacking criminal responsibility under Massachusetts law, the defense is more commonly referred to as not guilty by reason of insanity.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • Can a squad of scientists (including Kurt Russell) fight off madness and mayhem before the Thing overtakes them all?
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This week the madness leaps from the stage to the screen as Stamptown premieres its first Netflix special Tuesday.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of madness
Noun
  • These two steaks are different cuts, sizes and thicknesses, but the goal remains the same.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • No tweak hits the ground without extensive testing, both with machinery and with athletes scrutinizing everything from grip strength to rubber thickness.
    — Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of thickness
Noun
  • It’s been a classic staple over decades of British comedy, which from Basil Fawlty to David Brent has rejoiced in puncturing pomposity to reveal idiocy and incompetence.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The school board’s radical idiocy does not negate the state’s obligation to think about the longer haul — specifically, the structurally unbalanced budgets facing Chicago Public Schools as far as the eye can see.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of idiocy
Noun
  • Warchus adds that the production’s essential character, built on simplicity rather than spectacle, will not change with the move.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The restaurant has survived mostly by word-of-mouth, Quintana said, quite a feat in today’s restaurant landscape, and its simplicity is a stand-out feature among Kansas Citians.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • In an email to Krebs, Valadon claimed that the repo’s commit logs show that GitHub’s default protections against committing secrets—protections designed to protect unwitting or unskilled developers against exactly this kind of stupidness—had been disabled by the repo’s administrator.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
Definition of stupidness
Noun
  • In the special, Ahdoot takes on post-breakup fitness, foodie culture, dating, family and the absurdity of becoming a minor celebrity to children.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the museum focuses on language, relationships, self-mockery, and life’s absurdities, with rakija served to visitors as the ultimate symbol of Balkan resilience.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of absurdity
Noun
  • Even at the outset of Covid-19, the unwisdom of lockdowns guided mainstream epidemiology.
    — Phillip W. Magness and Peter C. Earle, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2021
  • Dog-dad Daryl proves the unwisdom of bringing his pet to work and ends up crawling through a crack in the rocks to chase his pup.
    — Richard Rys, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2021
Definition of unwisdom

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Cite this Entry

“Fatuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatuity. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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