VACUOUS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does vacuous mean? 

• VACUOUS (adjective)
  The adjective VACUOUS has 3 senses:

1. devoid of intelligence or thought

2. devoid of significance or force

3. devoid of matter

  Familiarity information: VACUOUS used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VACUOUS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Devoid of intelligence or thought

Synonyms:

mindless; vacuous

Context example:

a vacant expression

Similar:

foolish (devoid of good sense or judgment)

Derivation:

vacuity (total lack of meaning or ideas)

vacuousness (indicative of or marked by mental vacuity and an absence of ideas)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Devoid of significance or force

Synonyms:

empty; hollow; vacuous

Context example:

vacuous comments

Similar:

meaningless; nonmeaningful (having no meaning or direction or purpose)

Derivation:

vacuity (total lack of meaning or ideas)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Devoid of matter

Context example:

a vacuous space

Similar:

empty (holding or containing nothing)

 Context examples 

For all the preposterous hat and the vacuous face, there was something noble in the simple faith of our visitor which compelled our respect.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He stared at me with a hopeless expression upon his vacuous, good-natured, scrubby little face.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"To cook by your fire and to sleep under your roof for the night," I had announced on entering old Ebbits's cabin; and he had looked at me blear- eyed and vacuous, while Zilla had favored me with a sour face and a contemptuous grunt.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Again a startled look came over the somewhat vacuous face of Miss Mary Sutherland.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A celebrated tenor had sung in Italian and a notorious contralto had sung in jazz and between the numbers people were doing stunts all over the garden, while happy vacuous bursts of laughter rose toward the summer sky.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)