unsubstantial

[uhn-suh b-stan-shuh l]

See more synonyms for unsubstantial on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

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

Related formsun·sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty, nounun·sub·stan·tial·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for unsubstantial

unreal, fragile, frail, thin, imaginary, unbelievable, vaporous, visionary, aerial, diaphanous, ethereal, filigree, inane, shadowy

Examples from the Web for unsubstantial

Contemporary Examples of unsubstantial

The level of opposition to the Ryan budget among the bishops is not unsubstantial.
Paul Ryan’s Catholic Problem
Deal W. Hudson
August 13, 2012

Historical Examples of unsubstantial

Within a minute afterwards, he was, to all outward appearance, as unsubstantial as ever.
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
Were I a fat man I could not bear it, but I am as unsubstantial as they themselves.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume 2
Ian Hamilton
Scott, in Old Mortality, uses it in the moral sense, "unsubstantial."
The Proverbs of Scotland
Alexander Hislop
No darkness of the sky, or concentration of unsubstantial vapour.
The Death Shot
Mayne Reid
That was why the glories were so unsubstantial, and why the dream must end at midnight.
A Modern Cinderella
Amanda M. Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for unsubstantial

unsubstantial

adjective

lacking weight, strength, or firmness
(esp of an argument) of doubtful validity
of no material existence or substance; unreal

Derived Formsunsubstantiality, noununsubstantially, 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

Word Origin and History for unsubstantial

adj.

mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + substantial.