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inane

[ih-neyn]
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adjective
  1. lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions.
  2. empty; void.
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noun
  1. something that is empty or void, especially the void of infinite space.
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Origin of inane

First recorded in 1655–65, inane is from the Latin word inānis
Related formsin·ane·ly, adverb

Synonyms

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1. pointless. See foolish.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for inanely

Historical Examples

  • Inanely I would pound my head as though to put punch into it.

    The Harbor

    Ernest Poole

  • Eddie mumbled, inanely, "You didn't mind it this mornin', buggy-ridin'."

    In a Little Town

    Rupert Hughes

  • If it was from any other family he tuck it so inanely, I wouldn't care so much; but from them!

    The Dead Boxer

    William Carleton

  • “My widow, if you are going to be so darned particular about it,” he shouted, inanely.

    What's-His-Name

    George Barr McCutcheon

  • He thought at that moment, inanely, he should play more handball.

British Dictionary definitions for inanely

inane

adjective
  1. senseless, unimaginative, or empty; unintelligentinane remarks
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Derived Formsinanely, adverb

Word Origin

C17: from Latin inānis empty
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for inanely

inane

adj.

"silly, empty-headed," 1819, earlier "empty" (1660s), a back-formation from inanity. Related: Inanely.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper