hollow

1 of 2

adjective

hol·​low ˈhä-(ˌ)lō 

hollower ˈhä-lə-wər  ; hollowest ˈhä-lə-wəst 

1

: having an indentation or inward curve : concave, sunken

hollow cheeks

2

: having an unfilled or hollowed-out space within

a hollow tree

3

: lacking in real value, sincerity, or substance : false, meaningless

hollow promises

a victory over a weakling is hollow and without triumph

—Ernest Beaglehole

4

: reverberating like a sound made in or by beating on a large empty enclosure : muffled

heard a hollow sound when he knocked on the wall

hollowly

ˈhä-lō-lē 

-lə-lē

adverb

hollowness noun

hollowness

2 of 2

noun

hol·​low·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being hollow

testing the wall for hollowness by tapping on it lightly

the hollowness and trickery of these appeals

—F. D. Roosevelt

the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant

—Oscar Wilde

Synonyms of hollow

Adjective

• concave
• sunken

Choose the Right Synonym for hollow

vain, nugatory, otiose, idle, empty, hollow mean being without worth or significance.

vain implies either absolute or relative absence of value.

vain promises

nugatory suggests triviality or insignificance.

a monarch with nugatory powers

otiose suggests that something serves no purpose and is either an encumbrance or a superfluity.

a film without a single otiose scene

idle suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect.

idle speculations

empty and hollow suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or soundness or genuineness.

an empty attempt at reconciliation

a hollow victory

Examples of hollow in a Sentence

Adjective

There was a hollow spot in the field.

there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home. —Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Somewhere in time, a child is climbing up a hollow carved out between two hills. —Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

What followed were decades of growth that looked fine in the aggregate and felt hollow in practice—punctuated by brief spurts of genuine buoyancy that raised expectations before collapsing them. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026

But there’s also value in reading the film as a commentary on artificial intelligence, specifically in how language-learning models can only create hollow replicas of reality, humanity, or memory. —Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English holgh, holugh, holwe, formally identical with holgh hollow entry 2, with adjectival meaning apparently after hol, holle "hollow, sunken," going back to Old English hol — more at hole entry 1

Noun

Middle English holownesse, from holwe, holowe hollow + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hollow

• have a hollow ring
• hollow out
• in the hollow of one's hand
• ring hollow

Rhymes for hollow

• follow
• malo
• swallow
• wallow
• apollo
• criollo

Kids Definition

hollow

1 of 2 noun

hol·​low ˈhäl-ō 

1

: an empty space within something : hole

2

: a low spot in a surface

especially : valley

hollow

2 of 2 adjective

1

: curved inward : sunken

hollow cheeks

2

: having a hole inside : not solid throughout

hollow tree

3

: lacking value, sincerity, or meaning

hollow victory

hollow promises

4

: being like a sound made in or by beating on a large empty enclosure : muffled

a hollow roar

hollow verb

hollowly

ˈhäl-ō-lē 

-ə-lē

adverb

hollowness noun

Medical Definition

hollow

noun

hol·​low ˈhäl-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w) 

: a depressed part of a surface or a concavity

the hollow at the back of the knee