unsubstantial
Americanadjective
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not substantial; having no foundation in fact; fanciful; insubstantial.
an unsubstantial argument; unsubstantial hopes.
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without material substance.
an unsubstantial ghost.
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lacking material substance; materially paltry.
an unsubstantial dinner of bread and cheese.
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lacking strength or solidity; flimsy.
an unsubstantial wall of cardboard.
adjective
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lacking weight, strength, or firmness
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(esp of an argument) of doubtful validity
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of no material existence or substance; unreal
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unsubstantial
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at un- 1, substantial
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Human rights groups have long complained of the dire conditions Makala inmates face, including overcrowding, unsubstantial food and poor access to clean water.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2024
Salads don’t have to feel flimsy or unsubstantial.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
How does she coax so much production out of a 5-foot-11 frame so unsubstantial that her high school coach nicknamed her “Olive Oyl” after the gangly Popeye character?
From Washington Post ● Mar. 20, 2021
“It’s a pretty unsubstantial machine, compared to where typewriters got to.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 29, 2018
It was turning colder and the air was heavy with the threat of rain, but the kind of rain that on cool mornings is bled out of the unsubstantial flesh of the fog.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
