unsubstantial

unsubstantial
/un'seuhb stan"sheuhl/, adj.
1. not substantial; having no foundation in fact; fanciful; insubstantial: an unsubstantial argument; unsubstantial hopes.
2. without material substance: an unsubstantial ghost.
3. lacking material substance; materially paltry: an unsubstantial dinner of bread and cheese.
4. lacking strength or solidity; flimsy: an unsubstantial wall of cardboard.
[1425-75; late ME; see UN-1, SUBSTANTIAL]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Unsubstantial — Un sub*stan tial, a. Lacking in matter or substance; visionary; chimerical. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • unsubstantial — index baseless, delusive, erroneous, futile, ill founded, illusory, immaterial, impalpable, imponderable …   Law dictionary

  • unsubstantial — mid 15c., from UN (Cf. un ) (1) “not” + SUBSTANTIAL (Cf. substantial) …   Etymology dictionary

  • unsubstantial — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ having little or no solidity, reality, or factual basis …   English terms dictionary

  • unsubstantial — [un΄səb stan′shəl] adj. not substantial; specif., a) having no material substance b) not solid or heavy; flimsy; light c) unreal; visionary unsubstantiality [un΄səbstan΄shē al′ə tē] n. unsubstantially adv …   English World dictionary

  • unsubstantial — adjective Date: 15th century not substantial ; lacking substance, firmness, or strength < unsubstantial shadows > • unsubstantiality noun • unsubstantially adverb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Unsubstantial Blues — Infobox ESC entry song = flagicon|Hungary Unsubstantial Blues caption = language = English artist = Magdi Rúzsa with = year = 2007 country = Hungary composer = Magdi Rúzsa lyricist = Imre Mózsik place = 9th points = 128 place semi = 2nd points… …   Wikipedia

  • unsubstantial — Synonyms and related words: Barmecidal, Barmecide, adulterated, airy, apparent, apparitional, asomatous, astral, attenuate, attenuated, autistic, bodiless, breakable, brittle, cheap jack, chimeric, cobwebby, crumbling, crumbly, cut, dainty,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • unsubstantial — I (Roget s IV) modif. 1. [Flimsy] Syn. fragile, frail, thin; see light 5 . 2. [Unreal] Syn. visionary, vaporous, imaginary; see fantastic 1 , unbelievable . II (Roget s Thesaurus II) adjective 1. Having no body, form, or substance . bodiless,… …   English dictionary for students

  • unsubstantial — adj. not solid, not concrete, lacking a foundation; flimsy, weak …   English contemporary dictionary

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