inane

American  

[ih-neyn] / ɪˈneɪn /

adjective

1. lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly.

   inane questions.

   Synonyms:

   pointless, absurd

2. empty; void.

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noun

1. something that is empty or void, especially the void of infinite space.

inane British  

/ ɪˈneɪn /

adjective

1. senseless, unimaginative, or empty; unintelligent

   inane remarks

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Usage

What are other ways to say inane? Something inane lacks sense, significance, or ideas. Do you know when to use inane, fatuous, silly, foolish, stupid, and asinine? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

• inanely adverb

Etymology

Origin of inane

First recorded in 1655–65, inane is from the Latin word inānis

Example Sentences

Students are already using large language models to answer questions about deeper things, and the responses range from the inane to the untrue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025

But these explosive yet inane occurrences have become commonplace.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

Others debated why the show had lost its spark: too many inane games, over-edited drama, and a focus on contestant personalities instead of actual cooking.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2025

I stammered inane commentary as my eyes tried to refocus.

From Slate • Jun. 22, 2025

Here, I couldn’t watch movies, play games, or listen to music while I answered the endless stream of inane calls.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline