1
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
a great vacuous space that should have been filled with an audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
a movie that was enthusiastically derided for its vacuous dialogue
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 vacuous
The mainstream consensus solidified: The robbery was karma, comeuppance, a corrective to all that vacuous extravagance and clueless exhibitionism.
—
Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
Travis is one of the most vacuous stars the major labels have ever produced, a machine for turning the work of more interesting rappers into garbled playlist slop.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2025
But in the age of vacuous content, sketchy White lucks into camp, turning ’90s character actresses Jennifer Coolidge and Parker Posey into gay icons, both good actresses reduced to doing misogynistic drag acts.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Apr. 2025
There have been headline-grabbing declarations about AI on a nation-state level that often were vacuous.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
Travis is one of the most vacuous stars the major labels have ever produced, a machine for turning the work of more interesting rappers into garbled playlist slop.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2025
But in the age of vacuous content, sketchy White lucks into camp, turning ’90s character actresses Jennifer Coolidge and Parker Posey into gay icons, both good actresses reduced to doing misogynistic drag acts.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Apr. 2025
There have been headline-grabbing declarations about AI on a nation-state level that often were vacuous.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacuous
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
At the corner of West Boulevard and Romare Bearden Drive, the majority of a 3.5-acre lot sits empty.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
7 July 2025
-
The actor is actually photographed on an empty set, with one or two life-size props to give him his bearings; meanwhile, another camera superimposes the miniature set, in sync with the first camera.—
Andrew Tobias,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, the series seems determined to prove that age is just a number by forcing its leads, now including Choudhury and Parker, to act as if 50 is the new (and very stupid) 30.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
-
Jurassic Park, based on the Michael Crichton best-seller, is an evolutionary joke: Man, the master of the universe, has become mere flesh, consumed by animals allegedly too stupid to survive.—
David Denby,
Vulture,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
The jetliner heading to Nairobi lost control shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and nose-dived into a barren patch of land.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
-
Bandits, raiders, and more monsters crawl the barren landscape.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Forecasters at the National Weather Service said there was the potential for additional catastrophic flooding and heavy rainfall in the region throughout Saturday, given the storm’s slow craw across the state.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
-
Even though we've all been told gray is on its way out for quite some time, it's been a slow burn.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
The duo’s aim is simple: to help foster the next wave of podcasting talent, beyond the public figures and influencers who tend to dominate headlines.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 July 2025
-
Chris wore a simple navy blue polo shirt and khaki shorts combo, while Alexa showed off her growing bump in a white and blue floral dress — along with an Olympic logo necklace to complete her maternity style.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Back inside, the primary suite carries on the adobe style with thick, smooth walls and rounded edges.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
14 July 2025
-
The three-day Tampa conference was thick with criticism of DOJ and disbelief that the president could have let so many people down.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacuous. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share