1
as in spiritual
not composed of matter
as thin and unsubstantial as the wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
unsubstantial wisps of lace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
an unsubstantial child who was unfit to play sports of any kind
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsubstantial
From a personal finance perspective, people with extra cash should feel free to put an unsubstantial portion of their wealth into high-risk, high-volatility assets like crypto or meme stocks or even Super Bowl bets (thanks for the two-touchdown performance, Cooper Kupp).
—
Scott Nover, Quartz, 14 Feb. 2022
Brown dismissed it as cynical and unsubstantial.
—Lisa Mascaro, Star Tribune, 6 Mar. 2021
Still, Republicans plowed ahead with unsubstantial allegations of collusion between government officials and the company’s old regime.
—Cat Zakrzewski and Cristiano Lima, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2023
Plus, researchers would still have to clear the not-unsubstantial hurdle of clearing the compound for such use in humans.
—Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2019
See All Example Sentences for unsubstantial
Scott Nover, Quartz, 14 Feb. 2022
Brown dismissed it as cynical and unsubstantial.
—Lisa Mascaro, Star Tribune, 6 Mar. 2021
Still, Republicans plowed ahead with unsubstantial allegations of collusion between government officials and the company’s old regime.
—Cat Zakrzewski and Cristiano Lima, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2023
Plus, researchers would still have to clear the not-unsubstantial hurdle of clearing the compound for such use in humans.
—Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2019
See All Example Sentences for unsubstantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsubstantial
Adjective
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Francis’s wan desire for a spiritual element to his reconciliation with his brothers is probably Anderson’s get-out-of-jail-free card for this movie being aware of its own shallowness.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
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Those who work at White Pony speak of it with a spiritual reverence.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Trump and Musk are truly onions made of glass: shiny orbs of one insubstantial layer over another, with nothing in the center, liable to be shattered under the slightest pressure.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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Nineteen is certainly a lot lower than 42, but, um, 19 over the course of 94 episodes of television is not exactly and insubstantial amount.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Market Pulse Brooklyn’s Pulse index, a ratio of demand to supply, is down 2.8 points year-over-year, its weakest reading in five years, and sits at the bottom of the neutral range.—
John Walkup,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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In addition to a weak critical reception, the film became mired in controversy due to political comments made by lead actress Rachel Zegler in the run-up to its release; the casting of a Latina actress as the titular character; and the use of CGI to reimagine the seven dwarfs.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Indeed, in stark contrast to the incorporeal nature of a digital image, each of Winant’s photographs is, in a sense, a discrete body: a fallible material entity that boasts a hidden physical history and that will compositionally deteriorate over time.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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If reason teaches that God is incorporeal, this means that God has no body; God does not physically see, nor do people see God.—
Randy L. Friedman,
The Conversation,
16 Feb. 2024
Adjective
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Eager to serve his premise regarding Dylan’s Jewishness, Freedman sometimes turns it into a flimsy fallback device.—
Chris Vognar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
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Boasberg’s new 69-page ruling said the men had been denied that right and were deported based on allegedly flimsy or nonexistent gang ties, in the eyes of the judge.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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But much like the hug stepped on the larger point of supplementing the military base, images of Whitmer hiding behind the folders added to a narrative that Democrats are feeble in the face of Trump's power and influence.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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While Shawna and John were meant to be having a romantic anniversary dinner, Barb showed up unannounced and undermined Jennifer’s already feeble attempts at following the evening routine laid out for the young children.—
Sara Belcher,
People.com,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Shauna speaks with Jackie all the time, but this was sort of a new metaphysical space for the show.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
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Cage’s haunted delivery, contrasting powerfully with Knell’s anxious, terrified giggling, gives the scene a metaphysical kick.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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No matter how far-fetched the premise or gossamer-thin the story, the musical invites (compels) us to go along with its essential surrealism, to travel to that dream space where everyday life suddenly moves and sounds deliriously out of this world.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
7 May 2020
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For her label Anissa Aida, designer Anissa Meddeb, who lives in the capital, makes gossamer silk blouses evoking the striped motif of handwoven fouta towels and voluminous coats inspired by the burnoose cloaks worn by Berbers.—
Sarah Khan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Unsubstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsubstantial. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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