1
as in unsubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
an insubstantial carton that could not possibly stand up during long-distance shipping
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spiritual
not composed of matter
energy is insubstantial
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insubstantial
Oliver Rackham, the great historian of the British countryside, devoted a not insubstantial portion of his career to rebutting this claim, noting that there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that these punishments were ever carried out.
—
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
And since the lesser and insubstantial always has to give place to the greater and substantial, self-indulgent lust has no choice but to make way for our reflection of pure and perfect Love.
—Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2025
Republican lawmakers and state attorneys general have challenged the basis of those recommendations, arguing that the evidence used to support them is insubstantial.
—Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 1 Aug. 2025
These insubstantial claims did not improve much after the European powers departed.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubstantial
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
And since the lesser and insubstantial always has to give place to the greater and substantial, self-indulgent lust has no choice but to make way for our reflection of pure and perfect Love.
—Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2025
Republican lawmakers and state attorneys general have challenged the basis of those recommendations, arguing that the evidence used to support them is insubstantial.
—Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 1 Aug. 2025
These insubstantial claims did not improve much after the European powers departed.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubstantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubstantial
Adjective
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This can alter the amount and types of ACE-inhibiting peptides created during fermentation2—and possibly account for kombucha's unsubstantial effect on blood pressure.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Then again … This really does sum up Reeves’s unsubstantial performance as Jonathan Harker, whose new client is definitely up to no good.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The twice-weekly two-hour temazcal experience, led by a local Mayan shaman, guides participants through an ancestral purification ritual focused on physical and spiritual detoxification.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Ben Tzur understands the spiritual kernel of this process, having studied under Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar in the ancient dhrupad tradition, where rhythmic Vedic chants achieve a similar effect.—
Arman Khan,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Since the ruling, several GOP governors, including Georgia’s Brian Kemp, have called special legislative sessions to draw maps that dilute Black voting power while following the Court’s direction to hide behind the flimsy cover of partisanship.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
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The small gear selector feels disappointingly flimsy considering the otherwise upmarket presentation.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Followers of the Abrahamic religions are supposed to treat God as immaterial and incorporeal, yet these early Yahweh worshippers imagined him as fully embodied.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But a gossamer jacket tossed over a swimsuit on a breezy evening?—
Jennifer Noyes,
Air Mail,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The type of memory flashbacks that are shot at knee level, gauzy and out of focus, with a gossamer visual touch to conjure whispering, buried emotions of the past.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Andrews has continued to work on TV, including Sinbad, as Jafar on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and on the Wachowskis’ metaphysical epic Sense8.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
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Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Adjective
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Cut into finger sandwiches and down with a cold glass of sweet tea or a frothy beer.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
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More than 22 resident heritage breed chickens provide eggs for omelets, breakfast burritos, and frothy cocktails.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The challenge was to create something that feels almost immaterial, while still making a real shoe.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
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Portofiro and the baroque universe surrounding it—communists on-world, techno-fascists offplanet, and all manner of augmentoids and spooks in the immaterial planes between—can make for a dizzying read.—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insubstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubstantial. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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