vacuousness

Absence of substance

Vacuousness is the quality of being empty or devoid of substance.

It usually describes intellectual or expressive emptiness—a vacuous remark lacks depth or meaning, and a vacuous expression shows no thought behind it.

The vacuousness of his arguments became clear under scrutiny.

The word carries dismissive connotations, suggesting something not worth engaging with.

superficiality

shallowness

Lack of depth

shallowWithout much depth
skin-deepAffecting only the surface
glibSuperficially articulate

trivial · simplistic · unsubstantial · lightweight · frivolous · perfunctory · surface · veneer · facade · cosmetic

emptiness

void

Without legal effect

blanknessState of being empty
nothingnessComplete absence of existence
hollownessState of being empty inside

barrenness · absence · depletion · bareness · sparseness · paucity · dearth · gap · lack · emptied

meaninglessness

pointlessness

State of lacking meaning

purposelessnessState of lacking intention
futilityLack of purpose
nihilismRejection of objective meaning

insignificance · worthlessness · aimlessness · senselessness · absurdity · inanity · frivolity · triviality · inconsequentiality · nullity

insipidity

vapid

Dull, without depth

blandLacking distinctive qualities
dullLacking edge or interest
banalUnoriginal and dull

jejune · trite · uninspired · lifeless · flat · tedious · prosaic · stale · uninteresting · monotonous

Opposites

intellectual depth and substance

vacuousnessprofundity

Intellectual or emotional depth

depth · profoundness · substance · meaningfulness · insightfulness

purposefulness and meaning

vacuousnesssubstantiveness

Meaningfulness, real weight

meaningfulness · purposefulness · significance · substance · richness

Family

vacation, vacant, vacuum, vacancy, evacuation, evacuate, vacuous, vacuity, evacuee

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G