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empty

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verb

as in to evacuate
to remove the contents of empty the room before starting to paint the ceiling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective empty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of empty are blank, vacant, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When might blank be a better fit than empty?

While in some cases nearly identical to empty, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When could vacant be used to replace empty?

The words vacant and empty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

When is vacuous a more appropriate choice than empty?

Although the words vacuous and empty have much in common, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When would void be a good substitute for empty?

The meanings of void and empty largely overlap; however, void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of empty
Adjective
Imagine nearly every seat in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center − over 20,000 seats − are empty. Kymberlee Montgomery, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025 On a rainy morning, the restaurant, made up of a few four-seat tables leading to the stage area, was mostly empty. Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
The Heat also again went with a four-man bench rotation of Haywood Highsmith, Mitchell, Robinson and Kyle Anderson before emptying its bench late in the lopsided loss. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025 Just need to make sure Wednesday hasn't emptied the pool first. Toria Sheffield, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for empty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty
Adjective
  • Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.
    Michael Abbott, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Managing change proactively rather than reactively means staying hungry, staying humble and staying committed to the long-term vision—especially when things are going well.
    Robert Balentine, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The Kings didn’t push to create offense, with only 15 third-period shot attempts (only six of which went on goal) and instead focused on fending off a hungry Oilers team.
    Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And the testing is meaningless unless people are also being connected to treatment as quickly as possible.
    Jennifer Lotito, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Shaking your fist at the fools who started the First World War and condemned millions to a meaningless death seems jejune; historians teach us to say that the generals did their best under impossible conditions.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Removing or reforming colleges with chronically poor outcomes means fewer borrowers entering repayment with no degree or worthless credentials.
    Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Settlers who actually traveled to Florida to inspect their purchases were likely to be greeted by muddy parcels of worthless swampland overrun with snakes and mosquitoes, miles away from anything resembling civilization.
    Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Each unsuccessful vote will be burned in a furnace with chemicals to dye the plume a black color.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 2 May 2025
  • Hutchinson had filed numerous unsuccessful appeals, many focused on mental health problems linked to his Army service.
    CBS News, CBS News, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Rivera climbed into Feliz’s car; threatened, beat, and tased him, and then shot him in the chest point blank.
    Lourdes Rosado, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025
  • His most lucrative title at one point was a blank book—a patented scrapbook of his own invention.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Officers secured the area, evacuated nearby apartments and began negotiating with Ruiz while making sure individuals inside the apartment were safe.
    Harry Harris, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Thousands are without power or have been forced to evacuate their homes, according to officials.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Dike, who has missed much of the last two years with a string of serious injuries, ended his barren spell by scoring for his English Championship club West Bromwich Albion in their 5-3 win over Luton Town on Saturday.
    Ali Rampling, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • Without predators to keep them in check, says Laura Rogers-Bennett, a senior environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, urchins devour the base of kelp and can turn towering forests into barren seascapes within a matter of seasons.
    Avery Schuyler Nunn, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

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