Meaning & use

inane

adjective·Advanced

Silly, pointless, and showing a lack of sense or substance.

See it in a sentence

The meeting dragged on with inane small talk that led nowhere.

Critics called the film's plot inane and impossible to follow.

A note on using this word

"Inane" is a sharper, more dismissive word than "silly," often implying something is not just foolish but genuinely worthless.

Words with a similar meaning

sillypointlessvapid

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “inane”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.