empty nester

noun

empty nest·​er -ˈne-stər 

variants or less commonly empty-nester

plural empty nesters also empty-nesters

: a parent whose children have grown up and no longer live with them

… empty nesters moving from suburban houses to city apartments …

—Daniel P. Gregory

Empty nesters in search of small, low-maintenance—but luxurious—retirement digs …

—Anne Kates Smith

If you are relocating, or if you are an empty-nester thinking about unloading the big old homestead for smaller digs, don't ignore the option of renting.

—William G. Flanagan and Brigid McMenamin

Examples of empty nester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jessica Alba, Jamie Lynn Spears, Jennifer Lopez and other famous folks have joined the ranks of quasi-empty nesters, opening up about the bittersweet nature of it all. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026

Poetic License, written by Raffi Donatich, follows a soon-to-be empty nester (Leslie Mann) who audits a college poetry class after her family moves to a small college town. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

Adult Bobby navigates his relationship with Connie and lands a spot on a reality cooking show, while Hank and Peggy continue to grapple with life as empty nesters … and maybe adopt a new dog. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 24 July 2026

The two became empty nesters after their eaglets, Sandy and Luna, left the nest in June. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for empty nester

• polyester
• ancestor
• arrester
• digester
• investor
• protester
• requester
• semester
• sequester
• silvester
• trimester
• ester