1
as in unsubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
an insubstantial carton that could not possibly stand up during long-distance shipping
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spiritual
not composed of matter
energy is insubstantial
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of insubstantial
And Dalla Porta can’t build a flesh-and-blood character out of a woman who seems as billowy and insubstantial as the movie that bears her name.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
By emphasizing the details of her characters’ work, Waldman endows what might seem insubstantial in other hands with depth and shadow.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024
Here are 10 squads seemingly relegated to the sidelines during this year’s silly season, their impactful outlooks ranked from insubstantial to those seemingly staring at self-destructive maneuvers going into the 2024 campaign (note: salary cap projections courtesy Over The Cap):
10.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Given their size, the controllers are surprisingly light, to the point of feeling a bit insubstantial in your hand.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 16 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for insubstantial 
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
By emphasizing the details of her characters’ work, Waldman endows what might seem insubstantial in other hands with depth and shadow.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024
Here are 10 squads seemingly relegated to the sidelines during this year’s silly season, their impactful outlooks ranked from insubstantial to those seemingly staring at self-destructive maneuvers going into the 2024 campaign (note: salary cap projections courtesy Over The Cap):
10.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Given their size, the controllers are surprisingly light, to the point of feeling a bit insubstantial in your hand.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 16 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for insubstantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubstantial
Adjective
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Salads Salads don’t have to feel flimsy or unsubstantial.Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
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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
Adjective
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Or at the very least, take some cues from Kwanzaa, invented in 1966, which established a tradition of giving modest, meaningful gifts to children, separate from (i.e. after) Christmas, with no Santa myth, and with some cultural or spiritual significance.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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As the two compete to disprove the existence of the other’s passion, they get caught up in an encounter of both the spiritual and paranormal, imbuing both teenagers with powers beyond belief.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Most of Gaza’s civilians have been forced by fighting and by Israeli orders to relocate from their homes into flimsy tent camps or overcrowded schools and mosques that are never safe from bombing.Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Dec. 2024
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Existing antitrust rules were theoretically powerful, their theory went, yet decades of lax enforcement and unfavorable case law left courts and enforcers with flimsy tools for keeping the industry in check.Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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If reason teaches that God is incorporeal, this means that God has no body; God does not physically see, nor do people see God.Randy L. Friedman, The Conversation, 16 Feb. 2024
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The digital files are incorporeal.BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2021
Adjective
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No matter how far-fetched the premise or gossamer-thin the story, the musical invites (compels) us to go along with its essential surrealism, to travel to that dream space where everyday life suddenly moves and sounds deliriously out of this world.Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 7 May 2020
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For her label Anissa Aida, designer Anissa Meddeb, who lives in the capital, makes gossamer silk blouses evoking the striped motif of handwoven fouta towels and voluminous coats inspired by the burnoose cloaks worn by Berbers.Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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Although the machines’ inventor is concerned with metaphysical questions—do intelligent robots disprove God’s existence?—his engineer son sees the potential for major profit and manufactures robots for sale around the world, with disastrous results.Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
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Her interest in mysteries and the occult began in the metaphysical section at her local Borders.Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But both stars embodied true A-lister energy in both frothy tulle and sequined gowns.Christian Allaire, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2024
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Rivals is a briskly paced and positively addictive British romp with plenty of scandalous twists, lusty ribald humor, and more serious notes of genuine pain lurking beneath the frothy surface.Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Yet the uptick in travel to the ends of Earth has a detrimental impact on the environment, further exacerbating the impact of the climate crisis on fragile ecosystems.Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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After 50 years of brutal military dictatorship, the country underwent a dramatic if fragile democratic opening during the 2010s.Derek Mitchell, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near insubstantial
Cite this Entry
“Insubstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubstantial. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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