adjective

inane

ih-NAYN/ɪˈneɪn/

Silly or lacking sense and substance.

The woman treats the inane task of decorating bananas with solemn seriousness.

A middle-aged woman solemnly arranges tiny party hats on three bananas, a deliberately silly activity treated with comically excessive seriousness.

Etymology

Latin inanis meant “empty” or “worthless,” with an uncertain deeper origin. Whether borrowed directly or formed from inanity, inane came to describe an emptiness of sense rather than space.

In context

The Humanist Report216:16

we end up drifting off to the most inane websites you know like any monkey you can put up a website

Outbreak in the White House | Episode 261 (October 9, 2020)

More examples

We laugh at the movie's inane dialogue.
She ignores the inane chatter and finishes her report.
Arguing about whose turn it is to argue seems inane.

Forms

inane · inaner · inanest

inanity noun — Silliness or lack of meaningful substance.

inanely adverb — In a silly or senseless way.

Similar words

silly: Emphasizes foolishness or playfulness rather than lack of substance.
empty: Emphasizes a lack of meaningful content rather than silliness.
pointless: Emphasizes lack of purpose or usefulness, not necessarily foolishness.