noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/fəˈtjuːəti/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/fəˈtuːɪti/
General-American:[fəˈtuː.ɨ.ɾi]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Weakness or imbecility of mind; stupidity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Something fatuous; a stupid idea or utterance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a ludicrous folly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the crowd laughed at the absurdity of the clown's behavior
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: absurdity, fatuousness, silliness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: folly, foolishness, unwiseness
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French fatuité.
Across languages
Translations
9 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
اَلْبَلَاهَة
(al-balāha)
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Bulgarian:
глупост f’
(glupost)
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Dutch:
dwaasheid
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Georgian:
სისულელე
(sisulele)
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Indonesian:
kebodohan, kedunguan, ketololan
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Irish:
baothántacht
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Irish:
amadántacht
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Latin:
stultitia
— imbecility of mind; stupidity
Macedonian:
глу́пост
(glúpost)
— imbecility of mind; stupidity