1
as in hunger
a need or desire for food
the emptiness that usually sets in about three o'clock in the afternoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in void
empty space
there in the vast emptiness of the desert was a long-abandoned jeep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vacancy
the quality or state of being empty
the emptiness of the interior of the isolated house just made it seem all the more eerie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of emptiness
Over time, this creates a sense of emptiness, a lack of purpose and significance.
—
Arthur C. Brooks
march 22, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The tens of thousands of conference attendees who surged into downtown San Jose this week provided a stark contrast to the typical daytime emptiness, and highlighted the otherwise sluggish recovery of the city’s economically vital conference and convention business.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
The emptiness was an eerie reminder of how the country felt during Covid-19.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
In another photographer’s hands, Atget’s subjects, which show how thought and vision can work in tandem with emptiness, would likely be only a backdrop to the drama of humanity.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For them, mental emptiness leads to physical clarity.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The rich 35mm frames are captured with a stillness that emphasizes the haunting emptiness around the characters.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
The course of the alarm, every rider knew, could die in the emptiness of open land.
—Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026
The gray emptiness of Wuthering Heights contrasts with the warmth and bubbliness of Thrushcross Grange, which perfectly showcases why Catherine (a fantastic Merle Oberon) would want to live there instead.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Arthur C. Brooks
march 22, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The tens of thousands of conference attendees who surged into downtown San Jose this week provided a stark contrast to the typical daytime emptiness, and highlighted the otherwise sluggish recovery of the city’s economically vital conference and convention business.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
The emptiness was an eerie reminder of how the country felt during Covid-19.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
In another photographer’s hands, Atget’s subjects, which show how thought and vision can work in tandem with emptiness, would likely be only a backdrop to the drama of humanity.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For them, mental emptiness leads to physical clarity.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The rich 35mm frames are captured with a stillness that emphasizes the haunting emptiness around the characters.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
The course of the alarm, every rider knew, could die in the emptiness of open land.
—Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026
The gray emptiness of Wuthering Heights contrasts with the warmth and bubbliness of Thrushcross Grange, which perfectly showcases why Catherine (a fantastic Merle Oberon) would want to live there instead.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness
Noun
-
Similarly, certain medical conditions and symptoms can also impose consistent hunger, including hypothyroidism, PMS, and perimenopause.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Thousands of miles from the Middle East, in Brazil, South Asia and East Africa, even small increases in the price of growing and transporting food can deepen hunger and strain already fragile food systems, where millions are already struggling to afford basic staples.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For every event that closes, such as the Johannesburg Biennale (held in 1995 and 1997) and the Marrakech Biennale (2004–16), others, like the Lagos Biennial (founded in 2017) and the Stellenbosch Triennial (founded in 2020), emerge to fill the void.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Padilla had given Perez a phone number, but all her calls went into a void.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Why are there vacancies on Miracle Mile?—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The mayor said the Council’s estimated $2 billion in vacancy reductions, referring to unfilled positions in the city’s workforce, would strain the city’s pocketbook to the point where cuts would be necessary.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is a man who shows up at a bank with two dubious associates — the glowering, hair-trigger Sal (Moss-Bachrach) and, until his stomach gives out, the wobbling hot mess Ray-Ray (Christopher Sears) — and a bunch of guns.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Until the lava of the bird’s stomach melts her valiant resins, dissolves her nomadic strength, and transforms her into a viscous secretion.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The terrifying blankness of James Raterman’s military interrogator.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Jothan saw us and shook our hands, as did Michael Ray, but Sun Ra scuffled by with an air of depthless blankness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One recalled how their oldest child once pushed an unplugged vacuum cleaner across the living room, carefully creating vacuum lines without actually cleaning anything.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Among them was the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, creating a power vacuum largely filled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful paramilitary, political and economic group.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to the Centers for Disease Control, chickenpox, which is very contagious, often begins with symptoms like fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite, followed by an itchy rash.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Though most rank-and-file Republican lawmakers have remained outwardly supportive of the president, polls suggest that voters are souring on the conflict and have no appetite for a ground invasion.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Deputies recovered the handgun, which was later determined to be a weapon that fired blanks, the sheriff's department said.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Arsenal already have a blank in Gameweek 31, and an injury only adds further uncertainty around Timber’s availability.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
