inane

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪˈneɪn/ UK /ɪˈneɪn/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
silly, empty, and lacking sense or substance

The talk-show host filled the airtime with inane chatter.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · silly, empty, and lacking... silly fatuous vapid vacuous senseless empty foolish

Opposites

sensible profound meaningful substantial

Word family

Derived forms inanelyinanity

Related forms inanition

Simplified etymology

Inane comes from Latin inanis, meaning “empty” or “vain.” Its modern sense “silly” or “senseless” arose at the beginning of the 19th century.

Etymology

From Latin inanis ('empty, void, vain'), of uncertain ultimate origin.

inanis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# inane

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈneɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪˈneɪn/

## Meanings
1. silly, empty, and lacking sense or substance

## Examples
- The talk-show host filled the airtime with inane chatter.

## Synonyms
- silly
- fatuous
- vapid
- vacuous
- senseless
- empty
- foolish

## Antonyms
- sensible
- profound
- meaningful
- substantial

## Derived Forms
- inanely
- inanity

## Related Forms
- inanition

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: inanis

## Etymology
From Latin inanis ('empty, void, vain'), of uncertain ultimate origin.

## AI Etymology
Inane comes from Latin inanis ('empty, void, vain'), of uncertain ultimate origin. The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "silly, empty, and lacking sense or substance", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin inanis. Derivative forms include inanely, inanity; related words include inanition.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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