vacuity
Americannoun
plural
vacuities-
the state of being vacuous or without contents; vacancy; emptiness.
the vacuity of the open sea.
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absence of thought or intelligence; inanity; blankness.
a mind of undeniable vacuity.
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a time or state of dullness, lacking in mental or physical action or productivity.
the vacuity of modern existence.
-
an empty space; void.
a vacuity in the earth formed by erosion.
-
absence or lack of something specified.
a vacuity of feeling.
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something inane, senseless, or stupid.
conversation full of vacuities.
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a vacuum.
noun
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the state or quality of being vacuous; emptiness
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an empty space or void; vacuum
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a lack or absence of something specified
a vacuity of wind
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lack of normal intelligence or awareness; vacancy
his stare gave an impression of complete vacuity
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something, such as a statement, saying, etc, that is inane or pointless
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(in customs terminology) the difference in volume between the actual contents of a container and its full capacity
Etymology
Origin of vacuity
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin vacuitās; see vacuous, -ity
Explanation
When you refer to something that is not there, you can refer to its vacuity. A stern teacher who is criticizing an empty-headed English essay might talk about its vacuity, or the absence of any real substance. This abstract noun is derived from the adjective vacuous, which means "like or of a vacuum." Vacuity is rarely used to refer to actual vacuums; it is instead used to disparage arguments, morals, and undertakings that lack proper substance. These transferred meanings are more common for the adjective as well. Use them both sparingly: they are nearly always a marker that you have your judgment hat on!
Vocabulary lists containing vacuity
Notes of a Native Son
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vac
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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
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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.
As I’ve written previously, Bankman-Fried exploited the vacuity of crypto by slathering it over with what sounded like profundities but was vacuous gibberish.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2024
The canvases bear little resemblance to one another but operate together as a meditation on the word “wonderful” itself, on its vacuity and overuse in American culture.
From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2022
They make up for their intellectual and moral vacuity with a zealous subservience to power.
From Salon • Oct. 13, 2021
These are miniature masterpieces of vacuity, bracing blasts of cringeworthy corniness.
From Slate • Jul. 29, 2020
He reached for the doorknob that opened the way out into the unlit hall, then shrank back as he glimpsed the vacuity of the rest of the building.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
