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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absurd
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fatuous
Second, this rationale for regulation proved to be illogical and fatuous as conceded by U.S. Courts and the Federal Communications Commission in the decades since.
—
Carine Harb, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
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
Neither Berlanti nor Gilroy believe in them beyond the fatuous setup of their competitiveness with each other.
—Armond White, National Review, 17 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for fatuous
Carine Harb, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
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
Neither Berlanti nor Gilroy believe in them beyond the fatuous setup of their competitiveness with each other.
—Armond White, National Review, 17 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for fatuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatuous
Adjective
-
Mia promises not to ask for help or do anything stupid.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
1 Aug. 2025
-
If the producers manage to create another roof moment, Torin and his stupid little hats are cooked.—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
12 July 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
-
Controllable pitching is hard to come by in the big leagues, and the Pirates would be foolish to trade him away after signing him to a big contract.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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Any in-depth evaluation would be foolish until Monday, when players don pads and the pass rush speeds McCarthy up even further.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
As elevated mortgage rates continue to put a damper on the housing market locally and nationally, rising inventory, slower sales and lower prices have made for more favorable conditions for potential buyers in the Austin-area housing market.—
Shonda Novak,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Progress toward the opening of the micro-home village has been slow following a ceremonial groundbreaking held in July 2023.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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There were no costumes, no silly dances or hit parodies.—
Courtney Devores,
Charlotte Observer,
28 July 2025
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That may sound silly to some, Foster said, but the work done by the Environmental Protection Agency in placing bands on birds and following the migration of bees informs officials about the impact of projects on the environment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Looking for their environmental DNA in scales, slime or skin cells that living beings shed all the time is a simpler way, Workman said.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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This involves flexible decision making beyond simple automation.—
Ian Gotts,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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If 51% of the population is being so underserved, the ratio to opportunity is insane.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fatuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatuous. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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