Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Devoid of meaning or sense; meaningless: gave a vapid and unmeaning response to a difficult query.
- adj. Lacking intelligence or liveliness of expression; vacant: an unmeaning face.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Having no meaning or signification: as, unmeaning words.
- Not having or not indicating intelligence or sense; mindless; senseless; expressionless.
Wiktionary
- adj. dated Having no meaning or significance
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Having no meaning or signification.
- adj. Not indicating intelligence or sense; senseless; expressionless.
Etymologies
- un- + meaning (Wiktionary)
Examples
“She looked wildly on me, and then suddenly calming herself, apologized for what she called her unmeaning words, saying that she must indeed be insane, for, while Raymond lived, she must be happy; and then, though she still wept, she suffered me tranquilly to depart.”
“Here 'unmeaning' does not signify that we are saying anything about the value of such entities, but it gives expression to an ontological characteristic.”
“Page purely as a kind of unmeaning noise it filled you with astonishment at first.”
“Combined with the bellowing intonation it made the language of one's childhood sound weirdly startling, and even if considered purely as a kind of unmeaning noise it filled you with astonishment at first.”
“Believe me, Emily, these kind of unmeaning sacrifices are childish; your heart is new to love, and you have all the romance of a girl: Rivers would, on your account, be hurt to hear you had refused to dance in his absence, though he might be flattered to know you had for a moment entertained such an idea.”
“Believe me, Emily, these kind of unmeaning sacrifices are childish; your heart is new to love, and you have all the romance of a girl:”
“a couplet, we have generally 'that unmeaning thing we call a thought;' so Mr. Campbell concludes with a thought in such a manner as to fulfil the whole of Pope's prescription, and be as 'unmeaning' as the best of his brethren: --”
“Combined with the bellowing intonation it made the language of one’s childhood sound weirdly startling, and even if considered purely as a kind of unmeaning noise it filled you with astonishment at first.”
“Now read these words out loud: It is time for some unmeaning.”
“National literature is now rather an unmeaning term; the epoch of World Literature is at hand, and every one must strive to hasten its approach.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘unmeaning’.
-
Quaintnesses
For those who wish no words were ever forgotten
opprobrium, tedium, encomium, odium, ire, enmity, beguile, wile, brazen, popinjay, squit, hoity-toity and 1161 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for unmeaning.
bilby "Their hands met, and he thought he heard her say: “Yes, we’re sailing tomorrow in the Russia—�?; then there was an unmeaning noise of opening doors, and after an interval May’s voice: 'Newland! Dinner’s been announced. Won’t you please take Ellen in?'"
- Edith Wharton, 'The Age of Innocence'. Sep 20, 2009