1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
quickly realized that her suggestion was an inanity and withdrew it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of inanity
Jibber-jabbering inanities, Cranston’s cohorts find a solution: Pour coke down his nose.
—
Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
Hacks takes no backseat in its send-up of show biz inanity, but with more heart along the way.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Whether to get some space from his inanity, be able to spend more time with her ex-boyfriend, or simply encourage him to be a person, Tammy urges Craig to make friends with Austin (Paul Rudd), the affable evening news weatherman who moves in down the street.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 May 2025
Adams has conditioned New Yorkers to expect so much inanity and cartoonishness that the news was greeted with a kind of glee.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for inanity
Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
Hacks takes no backseat in its send-up of show biz inanity, but with more heart along the way.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Whether to get some space from his inanity, be able to spend more time with her ex-boyfriend, or simply encourage him to be a person, Tammy urges Craig to make friends with Austin (Paul Rudd), the affable evening news weatherman who moves in down the street.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 May 2025
Adams has conditioned New Yorkers to expect so much inanity and cartoonishness that the news was greeted with a kind of glee.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for inanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inanity
Noun
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She was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2006 and was placed in a maximum-security psychiatric center in Texas, where she's resided ever since.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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In addition, only 26% of defendants raising the insanity defense were found not guilty by reason of insanity.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But there was some method to the madness here, as UConn, which didn’t take a free throw in the first half, took 18 in the second half and OT.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 Jan. 2026
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Ditlevsen writes beautifully, and her sly and specific humor always manages to both undercut and deepen the madness and love in all of her books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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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Behind the classy presentation is a working-class spirit, one that honors the simplicity of showing up, being yourself and doing your job.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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The rover’s two-wheel design reflects UEL’s emphasis on surface mobility and system simplicity.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The short uses stylized 3D and deadpan timing to explore routine, irritation and faint absurdity.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Understanding the absurdity of one trillion anything makes the $38 trillion US national debt that economists have been blathering on about for years look almost sensible.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Every day this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and recklessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain craziness.—
Halle Troadec,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
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The restaurant is worth the trek, too, with relatively small, tasty burgers that are topped with all manner of craziness, from peanut butter to giardiniera to sauerkraut to pineapple.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inanity. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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