Vacuous
hardVAK-yoo-us
adjective
Definition
empty of meaning, intelligence, or substance
Examples
“The interview yielded nothing but vacuous platitudes about working hard.”
“She wore a vacuous smile that suggested she had not heard a word.”
Categories
GRE Tip
Vacuous is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "inane" or "empty" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "profound".
Related GRE Words
fatuous
smugly foolish; silly and complacent
vapid
dull, flat, and lacking liveliness or interest
subtle
delicately complex, faint, or not obvious
delineate
to describe or portray precisely; to outline in detail
desiccate
to dry out completely; to drain of vitality
insipid
Lacking flavor, zest, or interest; dull and unengaging
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