empty

1 of 3

adjective

emp·ty ˈem(p)-tē

emptier; emptiest

Synonyms of empty next

: containing nothing

empty shelves

: not occupied or inhabited

an empty building

: unfrequented

: not pregnant

empty heifer

: null sense 4a

the empty set

: lacking reality, substance, meaning, or value : hollow

an empty pleasure

: destitute of effect or force

an empty threat

: devoid of sense : foolish

: hungry

: idle

empty hours

: having no purpose or result : useless

: marked by the absence of human life, activity, or comfort

an empty silence

emptily

ˈem(p)-tə-lē

adverb

emptiness

ˈem(p)-tē-nəs

noun

empty

2 of 3

verb

emptied; emptying

transitive verb

: to make empty : remove the contents of

empty a purse

: deprive, divest

a phrase emptied of all meaning

: to discharge (itself) of contents

: to fire (a repeating firearm) until empty

: to remove from what holds or encloses

intransitive verb

: to become empty

the theater emptied quickly

: to discharge contents

the river empties into the ocean

empty

3 of 3

noun

plural empties

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

Choose the Right Synonym for empty

empty, vacant, blank, void, vacuous mean lacking contents which could or should be present.

empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

synonyms see in addition vain

Example Sentences

Adjective The arena was completely empty. She felt trapped in an empty marriage. unhappy people leading empty lives Verb She emptied the contents of her purse onto the table. It's your turn to empty the trash.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Image The restaurant booth is the furniture equivalent of entering a life behind the scenes May 17, 2023 Many ceilings are empty, their pristine surfaces only interrupted by humdrum necessities — recessed lights, vents, smoke detectors. —

Krystal Chang, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023 By Monday morning, one site in Jacumba Hot Springs seemed to be already empty. —

Kate Morrissey, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2023 Even when the event calendar is empty, residents have plenty of ways to stay busy, from visiting an array of museums to noshing on the region's famous chili. —

Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 16 May 2023 The Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Sonora, was empty when Title 42 expired after more than three years and over 2.8 million migrant expulsions. —

The Arizona Republic, 15 May 2023 Didn't the league learn the folly of a Yuletide tripleheader last year, the Rams literally asking their season ticketholders to donate their seats rather than having SoFi Stadium packed with empty seats ... for what was ultimately a 51-14 Rams walkover of the Broncos? —

Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 12 May 2023 An additional 106 residential units will be placed in two new buildings on the lots that are currently empty. —

Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 11 May 2023 The company was previously scheduled to present in the late morning but will no longer be doing so, with the time slot remaining empty as part of an extended morning break, a representative for IAB told The Hollywood Reporter. —

J. Clara Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2023 All that does is waste shells and increase the chance that your gun will be empty when an easy shot presents itself. —

Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 4 May 2023

Verb

You’ll be required to take yearly minimum distributions to empty the account within 10 years, and those withdrawals will be taxed as income. —

Liz Weston, oregonlive, 13 May 2023 Duran would visit Blair Field late in the evening, after the facilities had emptied following team practices. —

Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 11 May 2023 Adding to the uncertainty of how Sunday would unfold was the precipitation earlier in the morning and lingering clouds that threatened to empty again at any moment, though worries of that had evaporated by race time. —

Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 8 May 2023 The vast space — 17,000 square feet on two levels — was emptied out and a sign on the door directs customers to the nearest store on Mission Street. —

Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 May 2023 Three-plus years after the pandemic and emergency orders emptied out bustling city centers, the bustle has not yet returned for some. —

Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023 Across the country, office-to-housing conversions are being pursued as a potential lifeline for struggling downtown business districts that emptied out during the coronavirus pandemic and may never fully recover. —

Mae Anderson, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2023 His roommate on a road trip once woke up at midnight to find Harding pointing a gun at him; after pacifying the 7-footer and emptying the weapon, the roommate found Harding looming over him again a bit later with fresh bullets. —

Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2023 Tax revenue brought in from large office properties downtown — which made up nearly 9 percent of the city’s total revenue last year — plummeted as buildings emptied during the pandemic, resulting in millions of square feet of vacant office space. —

Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023

Noun

When Jennifer Aniston's Lolavie launched in 2021, the Glossing Detangler became one of my fastest-ever product empties. —

Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 May 2023 Consumers can print a prepaid shipping label to send back empties or return them to a commercial composting facility. —

Terry Wagner, Dallas News, 29 Apr. 2023 And, best of all, the vacuum empties itself, so dust stays out of sight and your hands stay clean. —

Stephanie Mlot, PCMAG, 24 Apr. 2023 While there are dozens of eco-conscious fashion brands out there that are working to reduce their carbon footprint, the beauty world is also making great efforts to do better for Mother Earth by reducing their plastic usage (or cutting it out altogether), going refillable or taking back empties. —

Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Apr. 2023 Since candles come in all shapes and sizes, there are a ton of ways to reuse your empties. —

Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 7 Apr. 2023 Doctors will typically start patients on lower doses of Wegovy — usually 0.25 milligrams — and gradually increase them over several weeks as people adjust to the effects of the medication, which slows how quickly the stomach empties and can cause nausea and stomach pain. —

Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 7 Apr. 2023 Tata Harper Refillable Restorative Eye Crème $130 at tataharperskincare.com This creamy and hydrating formula packed with botanicals is destined to become one of your consistent product empties. —

Erica Smith, ELLE, 5 Apr. 2023 Moments later, the parking lot of the Cultural Center Theater empties out and the spaces in front of the Empty Glass a few blocks away fill up. —

Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'empty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English ǣmettig unoccupied, from ǣmetta leisure, perhaps from ǣ- without + -metta (probably akin to mōtan to have to) — more at must

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of empty was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century