fatuous

adjective

ˈfa-chü-əs How to pronounce fatuous (audio)
Definition of fatuousnext
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

Relevance

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

Synonym Chooser

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatuous
  1. stupid
  2. foolish
  3. dumb
  4. absurd
  5. slow
  6. silly
  7. simple
  8. insane
Adjective
  • The Dodge Durango Hellcat is the most accessible way to go stupid-fast in a three-row family car thanks to the Escalade V‘s high price tag.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Proudly stupid and surprisingly sweet, Dylan Meyer’s stoner buddy comedy is a tribute to friendship best enjoyed with your own ride-or-die by your side — joints optional.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • All of this is to say that where liabilities are involved, don't be penny wise and pound foolish.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • As some of us will inevitably succumb to its grand and growing illusion, the rest may get the opportunity to find the key to understanding how so many others could be fooled and so foolish.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • Perhaps in writing it, Salinger was trying to negotiate whether his remarkable survival through some of the war’s worst gauntlets could be chalked up to dumb luck, or divine intervention.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Approaching the plant, there are no telltale dumb-bell silhouettes on the horizon signaling its presence.
    — Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of dumb
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Mike Lindell, MyPillow CEO and amplifier of the most absurd of MAGA’s many election-denying claims, was defeated convincingly in his bid for the GOP nomination for governor.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Those black rectangles in Study for a Black Drawing are absurd attempts at the ideal void.
    — Aaron Fagan, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Researchers used the device to process time-series data, including signals that contained both rapid and slow changes.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2026
  • However, there is another, slower and more insidious evacuation taking place, and that is the steady migration from rural areas all around the world to burgeoning cities, which now host more than half the world’s population.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • But to make some generalization that all career women are psychotic because Glenn Close happened to be psychotic at the end of that movie is just silly.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Residents riding on two wheels in Overland Park might see some new silly signs along the city’s most popular paths and trails.
    — Taylor O'Connor August 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • The task seemed like a simple one for a digital agent, as the booking form was online.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Mungiu refuses to supply easy answers or simple paths to identification in this compelling provocation, which poses unresolvable questions to viewers about our biases and presumptions.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • And their friendship, a folie à deux spiral of insane ideas powered by ungodly quantities of pot, becomes akin to a superpower.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • These mega facilities are popping up everywhere which means lots of people are spending insane money instead of pulling out the hose and bucket.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of insane

Browse Nearby Words

fatuity
fatuous
fatuousness
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Fatuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatuous. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fatuous

Nglish: Translation of fatuous for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All