unsubstantial
not substantial; having no foundation in fact; fanciful; insubstantial: an unsubstantial argument; unsubstantial hopes.
without material substance: an unsubstantial ghost.
lacking material substance; materially paltry: an unsubstantial dinner of bread and cheese.
lacking strength or solidity; flimsy: an unsubstantial wall of cardboard.
Origin of unsubstantial
1Other words from unsubstantial
- un·sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty, noun
- un·sub·stan·tial·ly, adverb
Words Nearby unsubstantial
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use unsubstantial in a sentence
They’re unsubstantial, and the first few times I skied them, before snow in southwestern Colorado had substantially accumulated, I was afraid, deep down, that skiers would think I was, too.
They’re unsubstantial, and the first few times I skied them, before snow out here in southwestern Colorado had substantially accumulated, I was afraid, deep down, that skiers would think I was, too.
The level of opposition to the Ryan budget among the bishops is not unsubstantial.
There cannot be an unsubstantial city of demons to be seen at night, that vanishes and becomes only plain forest in the daytime?
The Devil-Tree of El Dorado | Frank AubreyOne of the enemy side-slips, dives and streaks to the earth, leaving a cloud of smoke to mark his unsubstantial path.
Tam O' The Scoots | Edgar Wallace
Watson's and Brooke's stories proved as unsubstantial as the astonishing romance adopted by grave de Thou.
Sir Walter Ralegh | William StebbingI dare say it would have been all right had we been four months old, but being rather more mature, it seemed unsubstantial.
In the Ranks of the C.I.V. | Erskine ChildersA cabin would be built upon the land and some unsubstantial improvements made.
Our National Forests | Richard H. Douai Boerker
British Dictionary definitions for unsubstantial
/ (ˌʌnsəbˈstænʃəl) /
lacking weight, strength, or firmness
(esp of an argument) of doubtful validity
of no material existence or substance; unreal
Derived forms of unsubstantial
- unsubstantiality, noun
- unsubstantially, adverb
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
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