EMPTINESS Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

emptiness

noun

Definition of emptiness

as in hunger

a need or desire for food the emptiness that usually sets in about three o'clock in the afternoon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in void

empty space there in the vast emptiness of the desert was a long-abandoned jeep

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in vacancy

the quality or state of being empty the emptiness of the interior of the isolated house just made it seem all the more eerie

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 emptiness Here, emptiness is not vacancy, but composure, proportion and room for thought. — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Not even foundations are visible, and a long gravel road toward that part of the island leads past occasional farms and vast swaths of emptiness and then, finally, to a muddy riverbank thick with mosquitos. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 He was used to being alone without Robin and postretirement but being alone in the interminable stretch of predawn hours was a different sort of emptiness. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 30 June 2026 The condition is marked by intense emotional swings, a chronic feeling of emptiness, and a deep fear of abandonment. — Angela Haupt, Time, 11 June 2026 Interstellar space is unforgivingly vast, but the emptiness has some advantages. — Kai James, The Conversation, 26 May 2026 The Tuesday parking shortage and the Monday emptiness are not anomalies to correct. — Chase Garbarino, Fortune, 15 May 2026 Lift up your eyes unto the hills, and behold all that delightful emptiness. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026 Elijah Strand, Athena’s uncle, told the court that Horner’s actions devastated their family and left them with an emptiness that can’t be filled. — Harriet Ramos may 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness

Noun

Scattered on the dunes, the surviving population of Gaza was reduced to bare existence, subject to unrelenting hunger and thirst under the ever-present hum of killer drones and bomber jets.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Protein coffee can help boost daily protein intake, curb hunger and support muscle maintenance, all in one grab-and-go drink.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026

Definition of hunger

Noun

Graham leaves a major void in the Senate, where seniority can determine influence.

— Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
As cinema chains seek to supplement films from the major studios (which still lag behind pre-COVID numbers, though this year may change that), Fathom has increasingly been looking for a variety of programming that can help fill the void.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026

Definition of void

Noun

What the vacancy means for the GOP’s agenda The vacancy could complicate efforts to pass the remaining items on the GOP’s legislative agenda.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 July 2026
The apartment vacancy rate and declining price in townhomes and condominiums have some people casting a wary eye on the health of the housing market.

— Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026

Definition of vacancy

Noun

Plus there are treatments that feel like something from a 19th-century novel, such as salt baths, warm compresses on the liver area, or thrice-weekly stomach massages that are all supposed to promote cleansing and regeneration.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026
Cases of stomach illness caused by the cyclospora parasite are rising rapidly in Florida.

— Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026

Definition of stomach

Noun

The blade is listed at 60–62 HRC after vacuum oil quench heat treatment, followed by cryogenic treatment and triple tempering.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 July 2026
But a leadership vacuum could fracture the Tibetan movement, potentially giving rise to younger, more radical factions that agitate for total independence, perhaps even violently.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026

Definition of vacuum

Noun

When a pet chews on one of these plants, the crystals irritate the mouth and cause pain, drooling, vomiting and loss of appetite.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
When a pet chews on them, the crystals irritate the mouth, causing pain, drooling, vomiting and loss of appetite, according to the ASPCA.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026

Definition of appetite

Noun

Her brother, Tunji, fills in the British blanks for her, but life in Lagos was a time of playing on swings and watching her brother kick a ball with his friends.

— Riann Phillip, Vogue, 15 July 2026
Roschelle left their headstone blank, unable to carve her new reality into stone.

— Jessica Contrera, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Definition of blank

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emptiness

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“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of emptiness

noun

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