First Known Use: 1662
Dictionary
1inane
adjective \i-ˈnān\
: very silly or stupid
inan·erinan·est
Full Definition of INANE
1
2
: lacking significance, meaning, or point : silly <inane comments>
— inane·ly adverb
— inane·ness \-ˈnān-nəs\ noun
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Examples of INANE
- All around us swirls the battering of gargantuan films, Styrofoam epics with megatons of special effects, gleefully inane adolescent films, horror films that really are horrible. —Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic, 15 Mar. 2004
- The surfeit of home runs is a sop to all the Philistines who require inane diversions like programmed races between electronic dots on the scoreboard to make it through a two-hit shutout. —Nicholas Dawidoff, New York Times Magazine, 4 Apr. 1999
- Though feminist leaders are mostly aligned with those sentiments, they can't separate their quest for economic equity from the inane political correctness of their extremist sisters. —Mary Matalin, Newsweek, 25 Oct. 1993
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Origin of INANE
Latin inanis
Related to INANE
- Synonyms
- empty, meaningless, pointless, senseless
- Antonyms
- meaningful, significant
Synonym Discussion of INANE
insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character. insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest <an insipid romance with platitudes on every page>. vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit <an exciting story given a vapid treatment>. flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest <although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat>. jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance <a jejune and gassy speech>. banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy <a banal tale of unrequited love>. inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality <an inane interpretation of the play>.
2inane
noun \i-ˈnān\
Definition of INANE
: void or empty space <a voyage into the limitless inane — V. G. Childe>
Examples of INANE
- And thus likewise we sometimes speak of place, distance, or bulk in the great inane beyond the confines of the world. —John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1689
Origin of INANE
(see 1inane)
First Known Use: 1677
INANENESS Defined for Kids
inane
adjective \i-ˈnān\
Definition of INANE for Kids
: silly and pointless <inane remarks>
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