1
as in spiritual
not composed of matter
as thin and unsubstantial as the wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
unsubstantial wisps of lace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
an unsubstantial child who was unfit to play sports of any kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The algorithm fed the Giants pitcher a savory yet unsubstantial diet of short-form content.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025
Salads Salads don’t have to feel flimsy or unsubstantial.
—Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
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
From a personal finance perspective, people with extra cash should feel free to put an unsubstantial portion of their wealth into high-risk, high-volatility assets like crypto or meme stocks or even Super Bowl bets (thanks for the two-touchdown performance, Cooper Kupp).
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 14 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for unsubstantial
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025
Salads Salads don’t have to feel flimsy or unsubstantial.
—Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
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
From a personal finance perspective, people with extra cash should feel free to put an unsubstantial portion of their wealth into high-risk, high-volatility assets like crypto or meme stocks or even Super Bowl bets (thanks for the two-touchdown performance, Cooper Kupp).
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 14 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for unsubstantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsubstantial
Adjective
-
The twice-weekly two-hour temazcal experience, led by a local Mayan shaman, guides participants through an ancestral purification ritual focused on physical and spiritual detoxification.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Ben Tzur understands the spiritual kernel of this process, having studied under Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar in the ancient dhrupad tradition, where rhythmic Vedic chants achieve a similar effect.—
Arman Khan,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
As the story goes, attendance was weak, the weather was bad, and the tournament experience was just lacking.—
James Burky,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
As many as 40 states combine one-party control with institutional barriers weak enough to fall to political pressure.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
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
Adjective
-
Since the ruling, several GOP governors, including Georgia’s Brian Kemp, have called special legislative sessions to draw maps that dilute Black voting power while following the Court’s direction to hide behind the flimsy cover of partisanship.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
-
The small gear selector feels disappointingly flimsy considering the otherwise upmarket presentation.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Rock People were a feeble attempt to cash in on the shapeshifting craze, as Stonedar, Rokkon, and Granita (the latter never immortalized as an action figure) could turn themselves into… er, meteors.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
4 June 2026
-
The manner the ball traveled from Maradona suggested a feebler contact than a pure header.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Andrews has continued to work on TV, including Sinbad, as Jafar on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and on the Wachowskis’ metaphysical epic Sense8.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
-
Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
But a gossamer jacket tossed over a swimsuit on a breezy evening?—
Jennifer Noyes,
Air Mail,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The type of memory flashbacks that are shot at knee level, gauzy and out of focus, with a gossamer visual touch to conjure whispering, buried emotions of the past.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsubstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsubstantial. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
