1
as in unsubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
an insubstantial carton that could not possibly stand up during long-distance shipping
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spiritual
not composed of matter
energy is insubstantial
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insubstantial
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
YouTube videos as addictive and insubstantial as cotton candy needed my immediate intervention.
—Michael Alcée, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2025
Bashar was an ophthalmology student in London, a weak-chinned introvert who was widely seen as a bit insubstantial.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
But, taking these study findings from here all the way down the drug development pipeline to where there’s a safe and effective new drug on the market is expected to take a long time and a not insubstantial amount of money.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubstantial
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
YouTube videos as addictive and insubstantial as cotton candy needed my immediate intervention.
—Michael Alcée, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2025
Bashar was an ophthalmology student in London, a weak-chinned introvert who was widely seen as a bit insubstantial.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
But, taking these study findings from here all the way down the drug development pipeline to where there’s a safe and effective new drug on the market is expected to take a long time and a not insubstantial amount of money.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubstantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubstantial
Adjective
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The hit isn’t unsubstantial: In 2024, textile exports to the United States accounted for 10.7 percent of China’s total textile exports, valued at $14.8 billion, and 22.7 percent of China’s total apparel exports, or $36.1 billion’s worth.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
5 May 2025
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The algorithm fed the Giants pitcher a savory yet unsubstantial diet of short-form content.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Built in 1904, Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Catholic Church was the spiritual heart of Milwaukee's Italian community.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
31 July 2025
-
Many locals consider the primates to be sacred guardians of the spiritual site, which dates back to around the 10th or 11th century, according to the WSJ.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Ice Cream for Bears began with a flimsy ice cream maker while Berg earned a Master’s in entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis, before a pitch competition changed its trajectory.—
Andrew Watman,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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Camping pillows are notorious for being either too flimsy or too bulky, but the Klymit Drift hits the sweet spot.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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In fact, magical life has the potential to be even more radically incorporeal than our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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To the casual observer, the data industry can seem incorporeal, its products conjured out of weightless bits.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2024
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
Adjective
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Vendors will offer beads, minerals, gemstones, custom jewelry, fossils, artifacts, and metaphysical stones.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 July 2025
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This exchange happens near the beginning of The Stone Door, Leonora Carrington’s metaphysical novel of the Second World War, in a dream of her nameless narrator.—
Celia Bell
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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The frothy suds festively collected like snow on clothing and in people’s hair.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
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That frothy film and its title song, which rose to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1961, put Fort Lauderdale on the spring break map — a rowdy reputation the city has distanced itself from for decades.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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During the chandelier's cleaning process, the office said workers wear gloves to minimize human contact and ensure its integrity is not jeopardized because it is made up of soft and fragile materials.—
Keelin Fisher,
Arkansas Online,
21 July 2025
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Real grasscloth wallpaper, made from natural fibers like jute or seagrass, is extremely fragile and sensitive to moisture, paste, and pressure.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insubstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubstantial. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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