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inane

[ ih-neyn ]
/ ɪË?neɪn /
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See synonyms for: inane / inanely on Thesaurus.com

adjective

lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions.
empty; void.

noun

something that is empty or void, especially the void of infinite space.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of inane

First recorded in 1655–65, inane is from the Latin word inÄ?nis

OTHER WORDS FROM inane

in·ane·ly, adverb

Words nearby inane

in-and-in, in and of itself, in-and-out, in-and-out bond, in-and-outer, inane, inanga, inanimate, inanition, inanity, in antis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say inane?

Something inane lacks sense, significance, or ideas. Do you know when to use inane, fatuous, silly, foolish, stupid, and asinine? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Words related to inane

absurd, asinine, daft, empty, fatuous, flat, foolish, frivolous, futile, harebrained, idiotic, illogical, innocuous, insipid, jejune, laughable, meaningless, mindless, pointless, puerile

Example sentences from the Web for inane

British Dictionary definitions for inane

inane
/ (ɪË?neɪn) /

adjective

senseless, unimaginative, or empty; unintelligentinane remarks

Derived forms of inane

inanely, adverb

Word Origin for inane

C17: from Latin inÄ?nis empty
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
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