inane [ ih-neyn ] SHOW IPA
/ ɪˈneɪn / PHONETIC RESPELLING
adjective
lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly : inane questions. noun
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
OTHER WORDS FROM inane in·ane·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
Words related to inane absurd ,
asinine ,
daft ,
empty ,
fatuous ,
flat ,
foolish ,
frivolous ,
futile ,
harebrained ,
idiotic ,
illogical ,
imbecilic ,
innocuous ,
insipid ,
jejune ,
laughable ,
meaningless ,
mindless ,
pointless
How to use inane in a sentence Whenever I get one of those inane email notices about incremental changes in my credit rating, which arrive nearly daily, I tense up.
The show not only provided a welcome reprieve from a tough day in the laboratory, but also fueled fun debates among us students as to whether the inane scenarios were plausible.
All the evening we sat, almost in silence, inane ly smirking at each other and listening to the rain.
I was speaking with your father last night, he said, at last, somewhat inane ly.
Each of them was Tommy Atkins—the inane ly smirking hero of the picture-paper and the funny paragraph.
The quotation, lilted inane ly as a nursery rime, pierced her heart like a flight of silver arrows.
His eye fell on the terra-cotta Parisienne dancing inane ly on her pedestal, and he moaned like one in pain.
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British Dictionary definitions for inane
adjective
senseless, unimaginative, or empty; unintelligent inane remarks
Derived forms of inane inanely , adverb Word Origin for inane C17: from Latin inānis empty
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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