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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inanity
Released about six months after Independence Day, this snarling adaptation of the 1960s Topps trading cards came across as an unwitting send-up of that invasion movie’s cheerful, gung-ho, big-spectacle inanity.
—
Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
Words of wisdom—and inanity Psaki’s mother’s advice is surely sage, unlike some other words of wisdom Psaki’s received over the years.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024
And in all its inanity, it was still rooted in Kendall’s love for his father.
—Amos Barshad, WIRED, 26 May 2023
The one, glaring inequity that Patrice and Gary still face, however, is that—because of the inanity of US law—they cannot get married without losing their disability benefits.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inanity 
Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
Words of wisdom—and inanity Psaki’s mother’s advice is surely sage, unlike some other words of wisdom Psaki’s received over the years.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024
And in all its inanity, it was still rooted in Kendall’s love for his father.
—Amos Barshad, WIRED, 26 May 2023
The one, glaring inequity that Patrice and Gary still face, however, is that—because of the inanity of US law—they cannot get married without losing their disability benefits.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inanity
Noun
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This insanity aside, allowing states to override federal enforcement priorities guarantees that the federal government will have to release or fail to arrest serious criminals to make way for peaceful people targeted by states with aggressive attorneys general.—
David J Bier,
Orange County Register,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Toward the end of his frenetic set, though, DaBaby doubled down on the insanity.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Amid the madness and tension of the most recent presidential-election campaign, a wild form of clickbait video started flying around the political internet.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2025
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That includes hunting and other kinds of macho madness that Blake rebels against, a divide that never really got healed and a father/son bond that was completely broken when Grady simply disappeared.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The simplicity of the dish hits the target on the bullseye.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Jan. 2025
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The list includes books that emphasize simplicity, adaptability, and skill-building (and have a similar vibe to Nosrat’s book).—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appétit,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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These dispatches were quick flashes of absurdity, many of them lasting just a bit more than a minute.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2025
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One banking outage: how US paychecks could be affected The absurdity of the situation struck a chord with Reddit users, who responded with both concern and comedy.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near inanity
Cite this Entry
“Inanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inanity. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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