inane

/ɪˈneɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌɪnˈen] /ɪˈneɪn/ (ame, ipa) · [ˌɪnˈen] /i-ˈnān/ (ame, mw)

inane — adjective

  • inanepositive
  • more inanecomparative
  • most inanesuperlative

1. so foolish, empty, or pointless that it does not deserve serious attention

1.形容詞C1
釋義

so foolish, empty, or pointless that it does not deserve serious attention

例句

Marco rolled his eyes at the inane jokes on the breakfast radio show.

inane jokes - common attributive pattern

By noon, the host sounded inane, repeating the same catchphrase every two minutes.

predicative use after sound

同義詞
  • silly

    more general and less sharp; inane stresses emptiness as well as foolishness

  • pointless

    focuses on having no purpose or value, not necessarily on sounding foolish

  • vapid

    slightly more formal; often used for dull talk or entertainment

  • absurd

    stronger and more dramatic; suggests something wildly unreasonable

反義詞

文法句型

inane + noun (remark, comment, joke, chatter)

be/seem/sound + inane

用法筆記

Often used for talk, jokes, comments, or entertainment that feel mentally empty as well as silly. It commonly appears before a noun, but speakers also use it after linking verbs such as 'sound' or 'seem'.

常見錯誤

❌He spoke an inane.
✅He made an inane remark.
💡'inane' is an adjective and needs a noun or linking verb.
❌The ad was inane me.
✅The ad seemed inane to me.
💡use a linking verb; 'inane' does not take a direct object.

inane — noun