vacuity
/vəˈkjuːəti/ (bre, ipa) · /vəˈkjuːəti/ (ame, ipa) · /va-ˈkyü-ə-tē How to pronounce vacuity (audio) və-/ (ame, mw)
vacuity — noun
- vacuitysingular
- vacuitiesplural
1. the state of having or showing no real ideas, intelligence, or serious thinking
the state of having or showing no real ideas, intelligence, or serious thinking — for example, in a person's expression, speech, or writing.
The senator's speech on education reform was criticised for its intellectual vacuity — it offered slogans but no real ideas.
collocation: intellectual vacuity
Ingrid stared at the report, frustrated by the sheer vacuity of the arguments.
Critics pointed to the vacuity of the film's dialogue, which consisted mostly of clichés and empty catchphrases.
Hamza could not hide the vacuity in his eyes during the long lecture.
The editorial exposed the moral vacuity behind the company's glossy advertising campaign.
- emptiness
more common and less formal; can refer to both emotional and intellectual absence
- hollowness
suggests something that appears full or meaningful on the surface but is empty inside
- meaninglessness
focuses on the lack of significance or purpose rather than the lack of thought
- substance
the opposite in terms of having real content or value
- profundity
opposite in terms of intellectual depth and serious thought
文法句型
vacuity of [something]
用法筆記
Frequently modified by adjectives such as intellectual, moral, or sheer to specify the kind of emptiness. Often describes speech, writing, or facial expressions.
常見錯誤
2. a particular idea, statement, or piece of writing that lacks serious value or se
a particular idea, statement, or piece of writing that lacks serious value or sense and seems foolish or pointless.
Sana dismissed the proposal as a corporate vacuity full of trendy buzzwords but lacking any practical details.
countable use: 'a vacuity'
His speech was nothing but a string of pleasant vacuities designed to please the audience.
The book was full of intellectual vacuities dressed up as deep philosophy.
Abigail read the management email and identified at least three vacuities, starting with the instruction to 'improve cross-team synergy'.
文法句型
a vacuity / vacuities
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form vacuities when referring to multiple silly or empty statements or ideas. Less common than sense 1; usually found in formal, critical writing.
常見錯誤
3. a completely empty area or space where nothing exists — either a physical void o
a completely empty area or space where nothing exists — either a physical void or a profound absence of something that was once present.
The telescope revealed a vast vacuity between the spiral galaxies where no stars or nebulae were visible.
collocation: vast vacuity
The empty warehouse felt like a dark vacuity after all the shelves and machines were removed.
The desert stretched before the travellers as an endless vacuity of sand and sky.
After the fire, nothing remained but a blackened vacuity where the library once stood.
- void
similar in formality; strongly suggests a vast, featureless emptiness, often in space or the cosmos
- emptiness
much more common; works for physical, emotional, and metaphorical absence
- nothingness
philosophical or existential; suggests not just emptiness but the absence of existence itself
文法句型
a vacuity
vacuity of [place]
用法筆記
The most literal sense, but still formal and literary. In everyday English, empty space, void, or emptiness are far more common. This sense often appears in scientific or poetic contexts.