1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
quickly realized that her suggestion was an inanity and withdrew it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
the jaw-dropping inanity of the singer's comments on the awards show
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inanity
Moira was O’Hara in full sketch mode, charging each elaborate costume and line of dialogue with so much inanity the character should never have been believable as a real person.
—
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
In which SpongeBob and Gary the Snail have a conversation about string cheese, and the Flying Dutchman goes crazy at the sheer inanity of it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2025
The inanity and nihilism is still there, but tinged with something darker and more permanent, a sense that the rules of capitalism changed.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
On the other hand, there’s something soothing, even enjoyable, about the show’s glossy inanity.
—Daisy Jones, Vogue, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inanity
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
In which SpongeBob and Gary the Snail have a conversation about string cheese, and the Flying Dutchman goes crazy at the sheer inanity of it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2025
The inanity and nihilism is still there, but tinged with something darker and more permanent, a sense that the rules of capitalism changed.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
On the other hand, there’s something soothing, even enjoyable, about the show’s glossy inanity.
—Daisy Jones, Vogue, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inanity
Noun
-
The assassination attempt failed — and Hinckley was arrested, tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
His acquittal, which led to a public outcry, had an impact on the federal insanity defense — leading to a shift in the burden of proof.—
Katrina Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The priests argued that madness was a punishment from the gods and that healing came through repentance, along with sacrifices that helped maintain the temple’s operations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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The final round of fixtures on Saturday is going to be madness.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The idiocy of these people knows no bounds.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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There’s a heartwarming idiocy to their pursuit, yet what festers underneath is their inability to process grief consciously and the fear that those who deem their existence meaningless might be right.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This was the most straightforward, efficient episode of the season, pleasurable in its simplicity, with only one gimmick (the to-go orders) that barely made a difference to the episode’s outcome.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
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That simplicity is an advantage that baseball has over hockey, where everything moves so much faster and the plays don’t happen in discrete chunks.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And that’s the absurdity of this whole thing.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
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That’s the kind of hands-on absurdity that makes a road trip memorable.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But for now, the iconic Saratoga farm is a bucolic retreat from the craziness of Silicon Valley.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
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But worry not, the podcast episode goes live tomorrow — alongside a new way to explore this craziness.—
Eric Mandel,
AJC.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inanity. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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