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empty

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verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 empty
Adjective
That middle of the night, home alone in a dark, empty house kind of fear. Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025 Recent years have shown how the closure of a few big slaughterhouses or a single baby formula factory can trigger price spikes and empty store shelves around the country. Scott Horsley, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Also on Saturday, foreign ministers from Muslim nations rejected Trump's calls to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population and backed a plan for an administrative committee to govern the territory to allow reconstruction to proceed. arkansasonline.com, 8 Mar. 2025 Once it’s made its rounds through the house, the vacuum scoots itself back to its charging dock and empties its contents directly into the attached bin. Clara McMahon, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for empty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty
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
Adjective
  • But thousands of women, children, and older people – many hungry and some shoeless – trailed behind the troops, doing their best to keep up.
    Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
  • At the time, fans — hungry for new music from Gaga — speculated that maybe something was in the works.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The law, after all, is meaningless if no one can enforce it.
    Ian Millhiser, Vox, 18 Mar. 2025
  • That figure is meaningless, Reyes said, because there was no comparison offered to the deployment rate of servicemembers overall.
    Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The best technology in the world is worthless if people don't use it.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The reporter's insistence on pulling the 4-time major champion's tongue was worthless.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Nash’s cousin Allene Love told the Star-Telegram that family members’ efforts to obtain answers from police have been unsuccessful.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
  • At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since President Trump took office, the lawsuit alleges, though efforts by the judge to get an estimate from a government attorney at a hearing Wednesday were unsuccessful.
    CBS News, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The daring look was paired with blank pumps and was worn with her hair tightly slicked back.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Glickman said carriers have tools to manage short-term overcapacity as needed, including slow steaming, blank sailings or putting vessels on idle.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Many others, including Tara Lipinski, Chrissy Teigen, Britney Spears and more shared that they were evacuated as the fire spread.
    Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
  • About 190 children were evacuated during the Biden administration.
    Susan Page, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This is where the montage sequences get really aggressive, assaulting the viewer with imagery of barren alien landscapes and skulls with the flesh melting off of their faces.
    Katie Rife, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Even along the relatively mild coasts, where summer temperatures hover just below freezing, the land is a barren expanse of rock, ice and snow.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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