empty

noun

plural empties

: something (such as a bottle or can) that is empty

Examples of empty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The office tower that empties on Monday. —Chase Garbarino, Fortune, 15 May 2026

Tirzepatide slows the rate at which your stomach empties out, which can then affect the way your body absorbs oral medications — and not just birth control, either. —Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026

Silently once more his breath fills his lungs and empties out into the closed interior space of the taxi. —Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026

By the time Indianapolis empties, risers will have surged, blue-chip prospects will have solidified their status, and at least one unknown will have forced the football world to learn his name. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing empty

• come up empty
• empty calories
• empty-handed
• empty-headed
• empty into
• empty nester
• empty-nest syndrome
• empty of
• empty one's pockets
• empty suit
• empty threat
• non-empty
• on an empty stomach

Kids Definition

empty

1 of 3 adjective

emp·​ty ˈem(p)-tē 

emptier; emptiest

1

: containing nothing

an empty box

2

: not being lived in

an empty house

3

: having no reality or importance

empty dreams

4

: lacking in value, sense, effect, or sincerity

empty threats

5

: hungry sense 1

feel empty before dinner

6

: having no members

empty set

emptily

-tə-lē 

adverb

emptiness

-tē-nəs 

noun

empty

2 of 3 verb

emptied; emptying

1

: to make empty : remove the contents of

empty a barrel

2

: to remove all of from a container

empty flour from a bag

3

: to become empty

the theater emptied quickly

4

: to give forth contents (as fluid) : discharge

the river empties into the ocean

empty

3 of 3 noun

plural empties

: an empty container