1
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
2
as in void
empty space
there in the vast emptiness of the desert was a long-abandoned jeep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
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Recent Examples of emptiness
The emptiness was an eerie reminder of how the country felt during Covid-19.
—
Emma Graham, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
In another photographer’s hands, Atget’s subjects, which show how thought and vision can work in tandem with emptiness, would likely be only a backdrop to the drama of humanity.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For them, mental emptiness leads to physical clarity.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The rich 35mm frames are captured with a stillness that emphasizes the haunting emptiness around the characters.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
The course of the alarm, every rider knew, could die in the emptiness of open land.
—Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026
The gray emptiness of Wuthering Heights contrasts with the warmth and bubbliness of Thrushcross Grange, which perfectly showcases why Catherine (a fantastic Merle Oberon) would want to live there instead.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
In a city willing to displace a community garden or a newsstand to claw back a few extra feet, the Armory’s yawning, epochal emptiness seems like poking through your medicine cabinet and finding an alternate universe behind it.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Feb. 2026
Not a feeling of exhaustion, but an emptiness.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Emma Graham, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
In another photographer’s hands, Atget’s subjects, which show how thought and vision can work in tandem with emptiness, would likely be only a backdrop to the drama of humanity.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For them, mental emptiness leads to physical clarity.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The rich 35mm frames are captured with a stillness that emphasizes the haunting emptiness around the characters.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
The course of the alarm, every rider knew, could die in the emptiness of open land.
—Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026
The gray emptiness of Wuthering Heights contrasts with the warmth and bubbliness of Thrushcross Grange, which perfectly showcases why Catherine (a fantastic Merle Oberon) would want to live there instead.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
In a city willing to displace a community garden or a newsstand to claw back a few extra feet, the Armory’s yawning, epochal emptiness seems like poking through your medicine cabinet and finding an alternate universe behind it.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Feb. 2026
Not a feeling of exhaustion, but an emptiness.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness
Noun
-
Over the years, Darron Edwards’ south Kansas City congregation has made sure students have clean clothes and school supplies, distributed food to stave off hunger among those in need and provided mental health resources to churchgoers.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Choose Protein-Rich Snacks Snacks are a helpful way to tame hunger and provide extra energy throughout the day.—
Kristen Gasnick,
Verywell Health,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The former outside hitter’s younger brother, Jake Douphner, will aim to fill the void, but the Wildcats will be strong on their first two touches with libero Isaac Lane and returning setter Stephen Choi.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Our greatest void was human interaction.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This year, City Manager Maraskeshia Smith has said the Police Department’s vacancies will be examined.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The report cited a 2024 study on Vancouver, British Columbia’s empty homes tax, which found that the tax lowered the city’s vacancy rate by 21% from 2016 to 2021, yet had no impact on new housing construction or average rents.—
Kerry Jackson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fatigue within one to two days of consuming seafood from the harbor — consistent with norovirus infection, according to Whatcom County Health and Community Services.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The victim suffered apparent gunshot wounds to the face and stomach and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jothan saw us and shook our hands, as did Michael Ray, but Sun Ra scuffled by with an air of depthless blankness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
More than once, these wild understatements put me in mind of the comedian Nathan Fielder, whose odd blankness is often used to great effect in his work—although Honnold seemed perfectly sincere.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The vacuum is not neutral The fundamental misunderstanding at the heart of American regime-change strategy is the assumption that destroying the existing order creates space for something better.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
-
This means that highly effective military operations are taking place in a strategic vacuum.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
By acting on both the gut and the brain to regulate digestion, insulin and appetite, the medications help curb cravings.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Ryan Murphy’s latest series dropped viewers into a very specific slice of 1990s New York, and the cultural appetite for that era’s aesthetics, relationships and fashion has only grown since.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
If Haaland is fit, holding remains viable despite the upcoming blank.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Besides shuffling tiles and deciding whether to play with blanks or not, the trio is hoping the studio becomes a place to unwind, grow stronger friendships and meet some new people along the way.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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