UNSUBSTANTIAL Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

unsubstantial

adjective

ˌən-səb-ˈstan(t)-shəl

Definition of unsubstantial

as in spiritual

not composed of matter as thin and unsubstantial as the wind

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in insubstantial

being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance unsubstantial wisps of lace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weak

lacking bodily strength an unsubstantial child who was unfit to play sports of any kind

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 unsubstantial 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 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 The algorithm fed the Giants pitcher a savory yet unsubstantial diet of short-form content. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025 Still, Republicans plowed ahead with unsubstantial allegations of collusion between government officials and the company’s old regime. — Cat Zakrzewski and Cristiano Lima, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for unsubstantial

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsubstantial

Adjective

In the years since grit’s heyday, much of American culture has succumbed to a state of emotional and spiritual defeat.

— Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Leadership continuously draws from a finite reserve of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy.

— Dennis Volpe, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of spiritual

Adjective

But too few of those ideas yield satisfying conclusions, resulting in a drama that becomes treacly and insubstantial, reaching for a profundity that remains elusive.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
The wall was as insubstantial as a set on a film studio’s back lot.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

Definition of insubstantial

Adjective

Ferries are a common method of travel and accidents occur regularly, in part due to weak enforcement of safety standards.

— IMAN SATRIA, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
This time a year ago, a weak La Niña — El Niño’s cool counterpart — was in place, and only a handful of other years have had such a rapid flip to a potent El Niño, including the strongest ever event from 1982 to 1983.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of weak

Adjective

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

Definition of incorporeal

Adjective

As fishermen wrestled their catches out of flimsy fiberglass boats near a makeshift shoreside market recently, several stopped to talk with CNN, complaining that the war is ruining business.

— Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Besides, his long hours of labor are balanced out with what looks like a flimsy draw on paper.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of flimsy

Adjective

Kenneth Branagh originated the somewhat aloof professor, who steps into the role after Professor Quirrell was revealed to be hosting the feeble Lord Voldemort on the back of his bald head.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Instead of using a mirror to gather starlight, MOTHRA has many telephoto lenses, like those on a camera, which can capture faintly glowing wisps of gas and other feeble emanations across a wider field of view.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of feeble

Adjective

For decades, metaphysical stores and botanicas have sold religious items and offered spiritual cleansings and readings in spite of stigmatization and gentrification.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Eddy has been spared the worst violence; the novel casts his racial privilege as a kind of metaphysical exemption.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of metaphysical

Adjective

The gossamer thread holding the sacred feminine maelstrom together?

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
As with anything related to Meghan and Harry, even the most gossamer threads of gossip quickly ignited, and news of Meghan’s mysterious new role spread across multiple continents.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of gossamer

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unsubdued

unsubstantial

unsubstantiality

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“Unsubstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsubstantial. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unsubstantial

adjective

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