MEANINGLESS Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

meaningless

adjective

ˈmē-niŋ-ləs

Definition of meaningless

as in pointless

having no meaning this argument over seating arrangements is an utterly meaningless bit of nonsense

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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 meaningless There was another shot, about a meaningless void and sitcoms being the same thing. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026 Hours before the Yankees’ meaningless 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, reporters swarmed Anthony Volpe’s locker as he was seen taking grounders at third base. — James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026 The question as to whether an object is moving or stationary in itself is meaningless. — Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026 Having a talent advantage is meaningless if the Horned Frogs aren’t focused on the opponent directly in front of them. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for meaningless

Recent Examples of Synonyms for meaningless

Adjective

Ultimately, the fight proved pointless anyway as Seinfeld and David figured out how to get both Bauer and Skowron in there.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Totally ruined by introducing too many plot lines that were pointless or opened up and left alone without closure.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of pointless

Adjective

This episode notably lacked any nod to Trump, though mentions of the president as a whole have been brief compared to the previous season, when the president was the show’s focal point for absurd antics.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
And Saturday’s win proved that his plan to pursue championships — something that seemed absurd amid a lost 2025 season — has a real possibility of paying off with one.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of absurd

Adjective

Interjecting the bidding with inane questions or other comments about other managers’ rosters or the errant wisdom of their previous bids is highly encouraged to distract other bidders or disrupt any manager counting down in their heads.

— Sports Betting, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
The solutions being proposed and inane rhetoric from people such as Johnson are just massaging the symptoms rather than dealing with the real problems.

— Ronald J. Allen, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Definition of inane

Adjective

But seeing my parents examining themselves in that way and connecting with people and putting themselves in vulnerable and silly and meaningful situations.

— Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
That scene was always the silliest in the American version, and its absence in the international edition was a wise choice.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of silly

Adjective

The industrial revolutions of the past produced enormous value alongside bankruptcies, dislocations, and periods of irrational exuberance.

— Brian Solis, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
If anyone can reconstruct Apéry’s reasoning, the odd values of zeta may finally be proven irrational.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of irrational

Adjective

Soaking the suburbs over parking is reminiscent of other foolish, revenue-grabbing ideas, such as a congestion tax aimed at outsiders as a way to gin up money to cover Chicago’s ever-present budget black hole.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
With Oracle having lost more than $20 billion in stock-market value today, this appears to be penny-wise and pound foolish.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of foolish

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“Meaningless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meaningless. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of meaningless

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to meaningless

Sometimes '-less' Is More

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes