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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How is the word fatuous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of fatuous are asinine, foolish, silly, and simple. While all these words mean "actually or apparently deficient in intelligence," fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

When is it sensible to use asinine instead of fatuous?

In some situations, the words asinine and fatuous are roughly equivalent. However, asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

When is foolish a more appropriate choice than fatuous?

Although the words foolish and fatuous have much in common, foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

When would silly be a good substitute for fatuous?

While in some cases nearly identical to fatuous, silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

When might simple be a better fit than fatuous?

The words simple and fatuous can be used in similar contexts, but simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fatuous Neither Berlanti nor Gilroy believe in them beyond the fatuous setup of their competitiveness with each other. Armond White, National Review, 17 July 2024 Read their fatuous decision and weep for your country. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 12 July 2024 This crucible reveals Costner’s true politics, the skepticism about America’s founding combined with the optimism that made both Dances with Wolves and his ecological Third World fantasy Rapa Nui into fatuous hippie visions of global conquest. Armond White, National Review, 3 July 2024 Trump delivered a torrent of lies, exaggerations, fatuous boasts, ominous threats and unrelenting slanders against America and Biden. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for fatuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatuous
Adjective
  • That would have been a stupid question just about anywhere else, but the exhibition was by Laura Owens, a painter with a penchant for trickery, and the venue was Matthew Marks Gallery in New York, whose press release for Owens’s latest outing offered little in the way of explanation.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Thank you Hallie for thinking of me and putting my name in your stupid brother's ear.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Peter, though revered as an apostle worthy of veneration, is also portrayed in the Gospels as prone to mistakes, often foolish, and sometimes outright contradictory to God’s will.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The notion that women should be flawless multitaskers, managing a perfect home and career while never showing vulnerability or weakness is not only unrealistic, but also foolish.
    Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • With his absurd hair and larger-than-life persona, Trump is a walking meme.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • And next year, and for years to come, through trauma and joy, this seemingly absurd ritual is going to be here.
    Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The 2024-25 Bruins are slow, short on skill, inconsistent on defense and diminished in net.
    Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
  • In the men’s draw, Daniil Medvedev, the Russian powerhouse, has been crushing it on slow courts.
    David Hochman, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Using medieval art as one resource, Ariès pointed out that children were often portrayed as miniature adults, without special attributes, such as plump features or silly behaviors, that might mark them as fundamentally different from their older counterparts.
    Anna Mae Duane, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2025
  • This will especially appeal to the silly preschoolers in the group!
    Amanda Rock, Parents, 5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Prioritizing fitness amid a busy travel schedule, the former Radio City Rockette and The Talk host says her outlook is simple.
    Meredith Lepore, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2025
  • This fund is the simplest way to play the inevitable rise in lithium prices.
    Brett Owens, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Too many young people are making idiotic short-term financial decisions that hamper long-term success.
    Chandler Dean, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2023
  • Beyond the Lungs Two other cardiac cases impressed me — and blew away the idiotic notion that young people are immune to COVID-19.
    Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2020

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Cite this Entry

“Fatuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatuous. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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