unsubstantial

American  

[uhn-suhb-stan-shuhl] / ˌʌn səbˈstæn ʃəl /

adjective

1. not substantial; having no foundation in fact; fanciful; insubstantial.

   an unsubstantial argument; unsubstantial hopes.

2. without material substance.

   an unsubstantial ghost.

3. lacking material substance; materially paltry.

   an unsubstantial dinner of bread and cheese.

4. lacking strength or solidity; flimsy.

   an unsubstantial wall of cardboard.

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unsubstantial British  

/ ˌʌnsəbˈstænʃəl /

adjective

1. lacking weight, strength, or firmness

2. (esp of an argument) of doubtful validity

3. of no material existence or substance; unreal

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Other Word Forms

• unsubstantiality noun
• unsubstantially adverb

Etymology

Origin of unsubstantial

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; un- ¹, substantial

Example Sentences

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

“Olivia Newton-John is often accused of having a very unsubstantial voice and only one asset — beauty,” Dennis Hunt wrote in a 1976 Los Angeles Times review of her show at the Greek Theatre.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2022

“And he proved himself to be a callow, unsubstantial, often dimwitted person.”

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2021

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