1
as in spiritual
not composed of matter
as thin and unsubstantial as the wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
The most captivating of the three love stories is Smoke’s reunion with Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), a Hoodoo conjurer and Orisha spiritual healer who runs a small plantation store, where their infant son is buried outside under an oak tree.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
-
This choice jells with the Spanish psytrance producer’s generally hard aesthetic: her intricate music — laced with a spiritual chants and loaded with kickdrum — is intense, as are looks favoring latex and snakes as accessories.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Dell Technologies’ balance sheet appears relatively weak.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead called the case weak and a deterrent to tech investment in a blog post on Sunday.—
Jody Godoy,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
The digital files are incorporeal.—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
9 June 2021
Adjective
-
The team is now knotted with the Denver Nuggets by record, 48-32, and currently the No. 5 seed in a crowded Western Conference playoff picture. Sacramento, meanwhile, has done just enough to secure a flimsy hold on the ninth seed in the West, with a middling 39-41 record.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Apr. 2025
-
While compact, some hanging toiletry bags are flimsy and become lumpy when filled to capacity.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Right-hander Michael King toyed with Colorado’s feeble offense and pitched his first complete-game shutout.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
-
One feeble shift by the Freddy Gaudreau line led to the Flames countering and Sharangovich scoring on a deflection off a harmless-looking shot by Martin Pospisil.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In the 19th century, philosophers and poets dabbled with it in the pursuit of metaphysical insights.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Beelzebub, however, is nothing but evil incarnate, first appearing as a sort of metaphysical pollution—a writhing black oil-like glob suspended in midair.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share