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
After speaking to my physician colleagues and hearing their earnest frustrations, there’s no doubt in my mind that the system needs reform and the association’s proposals—which are not insubstantial and would address many of the problems —are a great place to start.
—
Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The film and television tax credit may seem slightly insubstantial when compared with the state of the world right now, Rhine advised in a session largely focused on messaging.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Nineteen is certainly a lot lower than 42, but, um, 19 over the course of 94 episodes of television is not exactly and insubstantial amount.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Trump and Musk are truly onions made of glass: shiny orbs of one insubstantial layer over another, with nothing in the center, liable to be shattered under the slightest pressure.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubstantial
Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The film and television tax credit may seem slightly insubstantial when compared with the state of the world right now, Rhine advised in a session largely focused on messaging.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Nineteen is certainly a lot lower than 42, but, um, 19 over the course of 94 episodes of television is not exactly and insubstantial amount.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Trump and Musk are truly onions made of glass: shiny orbs of one insubstantial layer over another, with nothing in the center, liable to be shattered under the slightest pressure.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubstantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubstantial
Adjective
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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
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Yet for all its craft, the film remains airy and unsubstantial, never quite rising to the full potential of its premise.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Daedone wanted to savor decrescendo, too, as well as stasis, stupor, spiritual awakening, and whatever other sensations the stroke brought out.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Following the spiritual moment, the King and Queen encountered a group of schoolchildren from the local primary school, Scuola Primaria San Paolo - Istituto Figlie di Cristo, who were waiting to greet them outside the Papal Basilica.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The age-old value proposition of indie filmmaking — that landing acceptance to a prestigious festival begets a sale to a distributor that pays off your debts and puts your movie in front of a massive audience — is flimsier than ever.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
22 Oct. 2025
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The film seems much more invested in the gooey push and pull of Clara and Miller’s romance, as light and flimsy as Styrofoam.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, magical life has the potential to be even more radically incorporeal than our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
-
Indeed, in stark contrast to the incorporeal nature of a digital image, each of Winant’s photographs is, in a sense, a discrete body: a fallible material entity that boasts a hidden physical history and that will compositionally deteriorate over time.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
No matter how far-fetched the premise or gossamer-thin the story, the musical invites (compels) us to go along with its essential surrealism, to travel to that dream space where everyday life suddenly moves and sounds deliriously out of this world.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
7 May 2020
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For her label Anissa Aida, designer Anissa Meddeb, who lives in the capital, makes gossamer silk blouses evoking the striped motif of handwoven fouta towels and voluminous coats inspired by the burnoose cloaks worn by Berbers.—
Sarah Khan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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Her poetry carries it all—the metaphysical, the flirtatious, the unsettling, the provocative— all in such miniscule space.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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Yoga and sound baths set the tone, but the property also offers a roster of metaphysical experiences for those curious for something more.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The return of Beyond Meat could be the latest signal of a frothy market, one that is relentlessly climbing higher in spite of concerns around elevated valuations and a possible artificial intelligence bubble.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
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Valuations look frothy but could go higher if AI capex increases beyond its already high levels.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As conversations continue around Gaza's reconstruction amid the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire, doctors and humanitarian workers are urging that efforts be focused on addressing the malnutrition crisis, noting that simply flooding the zone with aid won't make a meaningful dent.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
24 Oct. 2025
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Vance says Gaza ceasefire holding despite flare-ups US Vice President JD Vance said on a visit to Israel the fragile ceasefire with Hamas was holding, despite accusations by each side that the other had violated the deal.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insubstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubstantial. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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