1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
quickly realized that her suggestion was an inanity and withdrew it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
the jaw-dropping inanity of the singer's comments on the awards show
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 inanity
Trump has a complete disregard for laws and expertise, and a unique shamelessness, both of which create fertile soil for inanity.
—
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025
The whole sketch blended melodrama with inanity to great effect.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
This column started out as The Week in Stupid, a roundup of the jaw-dropping inanities of the last seven days.
—Pat Beall, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2025
The conflict is a sustained demonstration of war’s essential inanity.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inanity
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025
The whole sketch blended melodrama with inanity to great effect.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
This column started out as The Week in Stupid, a roundup of the jaw-dropping inanities of the last seven days.
—Pat Beall, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2025
The conflict is a sustained demonstration of war’s essential inanity.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inanity
Noun
-
Way was nothing short of a force of nature in the role, bringing a mix of mania, terror and insanity to a character that felt straight out of the comic books he’s written.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
21 July 2025
-
Kraepelin hoped that schizophrenia would eventually reveal itself to be a disease like neurosyphilis, which was then responsible for a large portion of the cases of insanity in psychiatry wards.—
Rachel Aviv,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Mid-season madness has officially started for the Colorado Rapids, less than a week before the MLS secondary transfer window opens.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
19 July 2025
-
Will the young girl in Horas Extras succumb to total madness?—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
Traditional funds benefit from diversification and operational simplicity, while merchant banking funds can potentially drive better outcomes through hands-on involvement.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
He was known for his elegant simplicity in songwriting and his love for farming and hunting.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Amid the absurdity, the women slowly chip away at each other’s defences – finding unexpected friendship, meaning, and a strange kind of freedom.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
-
Understandably, a fury arose over this absurdity, but turns out there is a reason behind it all.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inanity. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share