Synonym Chooser

How is the word otiose distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of otiose are empty, hollow, idle, nugatory, and vain. While all these words mean "being without worth or significance," otiose suggests that something serves no purpose and is either an encumbrance or a superfluity.

a film without a single otiose scene

How do empty and hollow relate to one another, in the sense of otiose?

Both empty and hollow suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or soundness or genuineness.

an empty attempt at reconciliation
a hollow victory

When might idle be a better fit than otiose?

The synonyms idle and otiose are sometimes interchangeable, but idle suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect.

idle speculations

When is it sensible to use nugatory instead of otiose?

Although the words nugatory and otiose have much in common, nugatory suggests triviality or insignificance.

a monarch with nugatory powers

When could vain be used to replace otiose?

The words vain and otiose are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vain implies either absolute or relative absence of value.

vain promises

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for otiose
Adjective
  • In other words, resistance is futile.
    Mia Sosa, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
  • If anything, Shock and Awe mostly reminds you how futile living in the madness of a Fake News world can be.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • While Hadden-Paton was unsuccessful in keeping his dapper suit, his costar, Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham, confessed to Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan on Live!
    Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reached out for comment but was unsuccessful.
    Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Digital fingerprinting collates an array of data from your phone — your IP address, device model and OS, time zone, setup and anything else if can get — to create a unique identifier in aggregate, even if each individual data snippet us useless on its own.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Never mind that large language models have so far proven useless at 95% of the companies that have made their workforces try to use them, researchers from MIT recently found.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Otiose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/otiose. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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