释义 |
[ in-suhb-stan-shuhl ] / ˌɪn səbˈstæn ʃəl / SEE SYNONYMS FOR insubstantial ON THESAURUS.COM
adjectivenot substantial or real; lacking substance: an insubstantial world of dreams. not solid or firm; weak; flimsy. not substantial in amount or size; inconsiderable: an insubstantial sum. Origin of insubstantialFrom the Late Latin word insubstantiālis, dating back to 1600–10. See in-3, substantial OTHER WORDS FROM insubstantialin·sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty, nounin·sub·stan·tial·ly, adverbWords nearby insubstantialinstrument panel, in style, insubordinate, insubordination, in substance, insubstantial, insudate, insufferable, insufficiency, insufficiency disease, insufficiency of eyelids Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for insubstantialHis aspect was as insubstantial as fog, dreams, or an expelled breath, and in this he resembled billions of human beings. 3 Must-Read Offbeat Novels: ‘A Million Heavens,’ ‘The Investigation,’ ‘Office Girl’|Drew Toal, Kevin Canfield, Daniel Roberts|July 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST After a brief market rally on Monday, confidence was snuffed out as traders reckoned the support was insubstantial. Will Greece Leave the Euro Zone?|Louise Armitstead|June 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST Insubstantial novelty has more to do with decadence than any form of innovation. What Was Venus Thinking?|Stanley Crouch|May 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST Truly, though shadows are insubstantial things for the greater part, there is one exception. The Real Man|Francis Lynde
They would fade like an insubstantial pageant—or the baseless fabric of a dream. The Philosophy of Natural Theology|William Jackson From it rose the towers and high-peaked roofs of the city, insubstantial as a dream. The Path of the King|John Buchan Odd to reflect on—they were the insubstantial but coveted wealth of the woman fallen upon poverty, ignoble poverty! The Amazing Marriage, Complete|George Meredith Considered in itself, the classic style is always tempted to accept slight, insubstantial commonplaces for its subject materials. The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 1 (of 6)|Hippolyte A. Taine
British Dictionary definitions for insubstantial
adjectivenot substantial; flimsy, tenuous, or slight imaginary; unreal Derived forms of insubstantialinsubstantiality, nouninsubstantially, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Words related to insubstantialillusory, flimsy, unreal, fanciful, tenuous, puny, unsubstantial, aerial, airy, chimerical, decrepit, ephemeral, feeble, fly-by-night, fragile, frail, idle, immaterial, incorporeal, infirm |