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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of emptiness
Over time, this creates a sense of emptiness, a lack of purpose and significance.
—
Arthur C. Brooks
march 22, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The tens of thousands of conference attendees who surged into downtown San Jose this week provided a stark contrast to the typical daytime emptiness, and highlighted the otherwise sluggish recovery of the city’s economically vital conference and convention business.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
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
Arthur C. Brooks
march 22, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The tens of thousands of conference attendees who surged into downtown San Jose this week provided a stark contrast to the typical daytime emptiness, and highlighted the otherwise sluggish recovery of the city’s economically vital conference and convention business.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness
Noun
-
At lunchtime, hunger overrides my qualms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to hunger, the violence has also been driving record numbers of displacements as Haitians are forced to flee their homes.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The tonal depth in his prints is rich, dense, and moody—not a void but a presence.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
An actual cosmic void — which can indeed be a billion light-years (or more) across — has nothing to do with dark gas clouds and Bok globules, which are small, nearby clouds of light-blocking matter, particularly at optical wavelengths.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Team representatives wrote in the lobbying material that the Blazers’ future in Portland was at stake — and that a departure would threaten the city’s turnaround from pandemic-era headlines about downtown retail vacancies and crime.—
Conrad Wilson,
ProPublica,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That is a reversal from the first few years after the pandemic, when vacancies outnumbered those out of work.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Batteries leak acid into the stomach and intestines, causing holes and the possibility of sepsis.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Those with strong sea legs (and stomachs) ride on the upper tier of the ferry, while the smoother seats are indoors and toward the back of the boat.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The terrifying blankness of James Raterman’s military interrogator.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
One recalled how their oldest child once pushed an unplugged vacuum cleaner across the living room, carefully creating vacuum lines without actually cleaning anything.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Among them was the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, creating a power vacuum largely filled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful paramilitary, political and economic group.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The composer John Kander blamed Minnelli’s fitful acting career on the appetites of her fan base.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
These drugs slow digestion to help control appetite, which can lead to changes in stool consistency and frequency.—
Nicole Hernandez,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Arsenal already have a blank in Gameweek 31, and an injury only adds further uncertainty around Timber’s availability.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Williams turns out to be the film’s star player, filling in the blanks of London’s short, sad life, and his powers of perception lead the film to its extraordinary conclusion, smoking out a killer who was hiding in plain sight at every step of the way.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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