emptiness 1 of 3

noun

Definition of emptinessnext
1
as in hunger
a need or desire for food the emptiness that usually sets in about three o'clock in the afternoon

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2
as in void
empty space there in the vast emptiness of the desert was a long-abandoned jeep

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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

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empty

2 of 3

adjective

ˈem(p)-tē How to pronounce empty (audio)
1
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present the refrigerator is empty, so we'll have to eat out

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2
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food as the long car trip wore on, we all started to feel a little empty

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3
as in meaningless
having no meaning spare me your empty apologies because if you were truly sorry, you'd change

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4
as in worthless
having no usefulness an empty task that was assigned just to keep us busy

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5
as in unsuccessful
producing no results all of the leads in the missing-person case were turning up empty

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6
as in blank
not expressing any emotion the speaker looked out at a crowd of empty faces

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empty

3 of 3

verb

as in to evacuate
to remove the contents of empty the room before starting to paint the ceiling

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective empty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of empty are blank, vacant, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When might blank be a better fit than empty?

While in some cases nearly identical to empty, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When could vacant be used to replace empty?

The words vacant and empty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

When is vacuous a more appropriate choice than empty?

Although the words vacuous and empty have much in common, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When would void be a good substitute for empty?

The meanings of void and empty largely overlap; however, void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

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
Adjective
Afterwards, the biggest thing the Rangers said was about the constant breakdowns resulting in virtually every non empty goal being scored by players not being closely defended. —Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025 But the schedule is also noticeably empty toward the backend of the trip. —Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
But while middle-class parents empty their wallets on tchotchkes, billionaires hoard the real thing, with hedge fund managers, tech CEOs, and art collectors driving fossil prices ever higher. —Catherine Baab-Muguira, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025 City Hall could be emptied next year after a recent eight-month search for redevelopment proposals received no response. —Jason Clayworth, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for emptiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness
  1. hunger
  2. void
  3. vacancy
  4. devoid
  5. hungry
  6. meaningless
  7. worthless
  8. unsuccessful
Noun
  • Citing the latest analysis examining the worsening hunger crisis, the group noted that the number of Haitians internally displaced by gang attacks has increased by 48% between June and December of last year, and 300,000 more Haitians now face worsening levels of hunger.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Tell me about where that hunger is coming from a little bit more.
    — Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of hunger
Noun
  • With the departures of DeMarcus Lawrence and Zack Martin, a void on the team’s leadership council exists.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2025
  • No wonder the movie keeps cutting to nearly subliminal flashbacks of Brosnahan — an overcompensating attempt to fill the void where its heart should be.
    — A.A. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of void
Noun
  • And despite a slight uptick in vacancy rates, the market remains competitive for quality spaces, according Anjee Solanki, Colliers’ national director of retail services and practice groups.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 18 Apr. 2025
  • San Francisco’s downtown vacancy rate remained a stubbornly high 35.8% at the end of the first quarter, and average asking rents are still a depressed $68.63 per square foot, according to CBRE.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of vacancy
Adjective
  • Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.
    — Michael Abbott, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
Definition of devoid
Adjective
  • The stark consequences of Mr. Trump’s slashing of U.S. aid are evident in few places as clearly as in Sudan, where a brutal civil war has set off a staggering humanitarian catastrophe and left 25 million people — more than half of the country’s population — acutely hungry.
    — Declan Walsh, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • When the new version of the Jets arrived in town, local fans were so hungry for an NHL team that tickets to the home opener went for $1,000 or more.
    — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of hungry
Adjective
  • Also; regardless if the Rockies are good or bad; shouldn’t they be applauded for bringing up prospects early and not pausing for a future control that might be meaningless?
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Yes, the games are meaningless.
    — Harman Dayal, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • The markets are already speaking: The U.S. dollar now trades for more than 1 million rials, an almost 75 percent increase from a few months ago, making the Iranian currency among the most worthless in the world (in 2015, when Iran last signed a deal with the U.S., the dollar was just 29,500 IRR).
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025
  • For his part, Zelenskyy tried to say that any agreement with Putin was worthless, as Rubio pointed out.
    — Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of worthless
Adjective
  • But the Supreme Court denied the court order and requests to President Donald Trump from family, supporters and her attorney were unsuccessful.
    — Nicole Acosta, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Min and Chris’ closest friends, Kelly Marie Tran’s Angela, a research scientist, and Lily Gladstone’s Lee, an Indigenous community organizer, have been struggling to conceive a child; Lee has just found out that her second round of IVF has been unsuccessful.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of unsuccessful

Phrases Containing emptiness

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empties
emptiness
empty
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Cite this Entry

“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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