1
as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
the fatuous questions that the audience members asked after the lecture suggested to the oceanographer that they had understood little
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
ignoring the avalanche warnings, the fatuous skiers continued on their way down the trail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fatuous
The ongoing war between woke and anti-woke factions is a fatuous melodrama best left to the satirists.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
This fatuous facial gesture is immediately relatable but also, as Locke discusses below, one that can be read in a number of different ways.
—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
20 Nov. 2024
Schools must accept that mission statements without curriculum alignment are fatuous; the way schools define themselves is through the experience that flows from their curriculum.
—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes,
1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fatuous
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
This fatuous facial gesture is immediately relatable but also, as Locke discusses below, one that can be read in a number of different ways.
—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
20 Nov. 2024
Schools must accept that mission statements without curriculum alignment are fatuous; the way schools define themselves is through the experience that flows from their curriculum.
—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes,
1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fatuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatuous
Adjective
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And no, that was NOT OutKick or FOX who wrote that stupid headline.
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The thing about House of the Dragon is that everything really is quite stupid.
Adjective
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Further, Plato’s disdain for Gorgias, Antisthenes’ first teacher, and sophistry in general is clear; in the Platonic dialogue Gorgias, the titular character is made out to be rather foolish.
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One is villianized and one is made to look foolish.
Adjective
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Not all blondes are dumb, don’t judge a book by its cover, yada yada yada, lo and behold, Reese Witherspoon is a certified movie star.
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Though Cady has made some gestures toward helping the Bowdens, like his behind-the-scenes effort to get one of Anna’s death-row clients exonerated last week, Tom and Anna should not be so dumb as to ignore his ulterior motives.
Adjective
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The 41-year-old is still an elite NBA player, which is still an absurd reality to consider.
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The thesis rests on a claim that would have sounded absurd a year ago.
Adjective
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There was no repeat of the slow start that cost him a spot last season.
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The house old-fashioned can be made with bourbon or gin and is a much slower sip.
Adjective
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Every player with a pulse had six suitors throwing silly money around.
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Some scenes in the movie are light and silly, including those pairing Maddie with a lesbian friend, played by Kate Berlant, who clearly loves her.
Adjective
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As for the volunteers, the goal is simple—help someone stay safe before the heat turns into an emergency.
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Evidence for at-home tools is thinner than for professional manual drainage, but the simplest options can offer mild circulation and surface-lymph support at a low price.
Adjective
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For example, Fred Again is absolutely doing insane things with the MPC Lives.
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That dwarfs anything the powerhouse Spain teams did in the early 2010s, when the team was known for stringing together an insane number of passes that led to a goal.
Cite this Entry
“Fatuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatuous. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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