empty calories
plural noun
: calories from food that supply energy but have little or no nutritional value
Examples of empty calories in a Sentence
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Which should, but won’t, deter the misguided and shortsighted who will soon succeed in bloating this thing with more empty calories.
—
Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Other Factors to Consider Diet and regular sodas may affect more than blood sugar and liver health:
Weight management: Regular soda adds empty calories that can contribute to weight gain.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 20 Jan. 2026
Some foods contain harmful additives and ingredients toxic to birds, while others provide empty calories that don't properly nourish them.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 6 Jan. 2026
Still, swapping empty calories for real artistic fuel (something the film industry desperately needs right now), Blumhouse’s fine-enough follow-up to its hit adaptation from 2023 looks and feels like a kind of imitation cheese.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2025
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Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Other Factors to Consider Diet and regular sodas may affect more than blood sugar and liver health:
Weight management: Regular soda adds empty calories that can contribute to weight gain.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 20 Jan. 2026
Some foods contain harmful additives and ingredients toxic to birds, while others provide empty calories that don't properly nourish them.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 6 Jan. 2026
Still, swapping empty calories for real artistic fuel (something the film industry desperately needs right now), Blumhouse’s fine-enough follow-up to its hit adaptation from 2023 looks and feels like a kind of imitation cheese.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empty calories
Cite this Entry
“Empty calories.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empty%20calories. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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