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 But other than that the game was meaningless since the Americans had already won the group and qualified for the next round while Turkey was going home no matter the result. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 But it’s lost on these boys, whose youth has been ground away by the drug trade’s meaningless brutality. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 Thursday’s match was meaningless for Germany, who already clinched the top spot in Group E with a comeback victory against Ivory Coast last Saturday. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026 The result was meaningless to the Americans, who will meet Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday. — ABC News, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for meaningless

Recent Examples of Synonyms for meaningless

Adjective

Less friction for good actors, less room for bad actors, and less pointless duplication for everyone else, all the while protecting platforms from data breaches and litigation.

— Raj Ananthanpillai, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
But filming an empty field is pointless.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 13 June 2026

Definition of pointless

Adjective

Space startup activity has been growing for years, with new companies hitting unicorn valuations at a pace that would have seemed absurd five years ago.

— Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
That the Fendons don’t think to immediately tell their devastated adult son, Harry (Craig Roberts), that his dad is still alive is only the first delightfully absurd wrinkle in this mischievous black comedy.

— Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026

Definition of absurd

Adjective

To think our mayor would cheer such a tragic event is undeniably inane and incredibly biased.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026
Our former swing state now has become a red state through and through thanks largely to the new congressional districts which are stretched to inane proportions.

— Ann Marie Luft, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026

Definition of inane

Adjective

Sevigny holds firm to Tatum’s hard-to-love jerkishness, which helps smooth over the serious arguments that can turn inadvertently silly (and amplifies the purely silly ones).

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
The post also included a sweet selfie with her two younger sons, with Mateo smiling widely and Ciro making a silly face for the camera.

— Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026

Definition of silly

Adjective

Their ideas about it were often steeped in stereotypes suggesting that Buddhists were irrational and childish in their thinking.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 July 2026
Scammers often use isolation tactics in phone calls to panic the listener and rush them into making irrational choices that often have financial costs.

— Ella Moore July 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

Definition of irrational

Adjective

Comparing Young’s new deal to any extension for Davis would be a foolish exercise.

— Josh Robbins, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Further, Plato’s disdain for Gorgias, Antisthenes’ first teacher, and sophistry in general is clear; in the Platonic dialogue Gorgias, the titular character is made out to be rather foolish.

— Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of foolish

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“Meaningless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meaningless. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of meaningless

adjective

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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 on meaningless

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

xeric

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

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Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes