Synonym Chooser

How is the word nugatory distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of nugatory are empty, hollow, idle, otiose, and vain. While all these words mean "being without worth or significance," nugatory suggests triviality or insignificance.

a monarch with nugatory powers

How do empty and hollow relate to one another, in the sense of nugatory?

Both empty and hollow suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or soundness or genuineness.

an empty attempt at reconciliation
a hollow victory

In what contexts can idle take the place of nugatory?

While in some cases nearly identical to nugatory, idle suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect.

idle speculations

When is it sensible to use otiose instead of nugatory?

The synonyms otiose and nugatory are sometimes interchangeable, but otiose suggests that something serves no purpose and is either an encumbrance or a superfluity.

a film without a single otiose scene

When would vain be a good substitute for nugatory?

In some situations, the words vain and nugatory are roughly equivalent. However, vain implies either absolute or relative absence of value.

vain promises

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 nugatory Women directors abound in the S&S list: Two Akermans, two Agnès Vardas (none by her husband Jacques Demy, a superior artist), a nugatory Jane Campion soap opera, Vera Chitilová’s obscure Czech feminist screed, etc. Armond White, National Review, 7 Dec. 2022 But the benefits to Russia longer term could be nugatory. W. James Antle Iii, The Week, 4 Mar. 2022 It could be used to rationalize stealing the pennies from a dead man’s eyes, true, even considering the nugatory value of the contemporary penny. Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020 Yet all of these questions seem, increasingly, merely nostalgic, nugatory, in the face of the dissolution of the common solidarity of principles that had once made the liberation happen. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 6 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nugatory
Adjective
  • According to the sages of Wall Street, the legacy cable/satellite/telco-TV bundle is as dead as the Diplodocus, although there are still an awful lot of customers banging around in that null set.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Or at least Eren couldn’t, and his conclusion ably demonstrated the scientific value of null results.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The availability of Michael Porter Jr While the 6'10 forward is, somewhat ironically, out these days with a minor hamstring injury, his overall availability this season - and last - has offered a major boost to the Nuggets.
    Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Prosecutors alleged Rocky pointed a gun at Relli and shot at him, causing minor injuries.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The website collects your personal information and then asks you for payment methods, telling you that each one you input is invalid.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Yoon’s lawyers have also repeatedly argued that his arrest was politically motivated and that the warrant was invalid because of flaws in the way the investigation was conducted.
    Mike Valerio, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The gigs in smaller rooms than Simon has typically played, will allow the singer to perform the songs from Seven Psalms live for the first time.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Hang it in a small bathroom for over-the-toilet storage or in the laundry room for detergent and stain removers—this versatile cabinet can do it all.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The Raiders in the past have been hamstrung by their ability to do large signing bonuses, by adding void years, and by converting salary cap to cash to create cap space.
    Emile Nuh, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Inside Oakland’s two courthouses, numerous courtrooms were void and dark without court clerks to record proceedings.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Many Manchester United supporters still lament the removal of the words ‘Football Club’ from the crest in 1998 — controversial at the time, but the same words or the initials ‘F.C.’ are now regularly dispensed with little comment.
    Mark Critchley, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
  • That means there’s little impetus for interest rate cuts to support job growth.
    Simon Moore, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The problem with these groups is that not only are you being sold something that is probably close to worthless, but by not dealing directly with an attorney there is no attorney-client privilege which protects the communications between these groups and their clients.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
  • In a political and social climate ripe with fear and uncertainty, survival can feel like a worthless pursuit, but Black history teaches us how to live in liminality — to embrace the unknown, the in-between, the transitional.
    Mathew Holloway, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • But if Maxey asserts himself as a nightly threat to erupt for 25-plus points, Embiid could take a slight step back on offense next season.
    Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
  • While some areas are seeing increases, others are experiencing stability or even slight declines, as the bulk of the seasonal transition has yet to significantly impact gasoline prices— certainly good news for motorists.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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