emptiness 1 of 3

noun

Definition of emptinessnext
1
as in hunger
a need or desire for food the emptiness that usually sets in about three o'clock in the afternoon

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2
as in void
empty space there in the vast emptiness of the desert was a long-abandoned jeep

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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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empty

2 of 3

adjective

ˈem(p)-tē How to pronounce empty (audio)
1
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present the refrigerator is empty, so we'll have to eat out

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2
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food as the long car trip wore on, we all started to feel a little empty

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3
as in meaningless
having no meaning spare me your empty apologies because if you were truly sorry, you'd change

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4
as in worthless
having no usefulness an empty task that was assigned just to keep us busy

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5
as in unsuccessful
producing no results all of the leads in the missing-person case were turning up empty

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6
as in blank
not expressing any emotion the speaker looked out at a crowd of empty faces

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empty

3 of 3

verb

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

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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 emptiness
Adjective
Jackman and Furness purchased an empty 2.5-acre waterfront plot for $3.5 million in 2015 and spent the next six years building a custom Long Island retreat with three bedrooms, five bathrooms, a guest house and access to a private beach. —Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 30 May 2025 The restaurant’s hand-washing facilities were blocked by crates, a cart and cases, and a paper towel dispenser was empty. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025
Verb
Every day, a housemate was assigned to clean the kitchen and the bathroom and to empty the garbage. —Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 The Jets emptied their net and watched as the seconds ticked off the clock in the offensive zone, just hoping for a shot on net to give them a chance at the 3-3 tie and the game in overtime. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for emptiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness
  1. hunger
  2. void
  3. vacancy
  4. devoid
  5. hungry
  6. meaningless
  7. worthless
  8. unsuccessful
Noun
  • Even the United States, a staunch ally of Israel, has voiced concerns over the growing hunger crisis.
    — Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
  • Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises.
    — Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
Definition of hunger
Noun
  • Machine learning combined with AI fills the data processing void and allows brands to deliver personalized experiences both rapidly and at scale.
    — Amit Ojha, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Also, opening up the plants a little can allow new shoots to fill the voids.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
Definition of void
Noun
  • Lawyers from across the state have the opportunity to select an at-large attorney member who serves as chair of the commission, which routinely evaluates dozens of applications to fill court vacancies.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2025
  • Trump could have controlled the board by appointing members to fill two vacancies.
    — David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
Definition of vacancy
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
Definition of devoid
Adjective
  • The bucket stretched the Pacers’ lead to 10 with 2:30 remaining, a cushion just enough to keep the hungry Knicks away.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
  • So before the first guest turned up, there was enough food for a hungry crowd.
    — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Definition of hungry
Adjective
  • The trouble is that in and of themselves, trade deficits (or surpluses) are meaningless measures of a nation’s economic health.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • Ever since Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise’s films have imposed a sense of duty on audiences — a different purpose than other meaningless, direct-to-streaming content with zero purpose.
    — Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • Even as Amtrak officials were sitting with Hochul yesterday and offering her more worthless promises, the Amtrak Board of Directors was holding a rare public session.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025
  • At the same time, a blanket rule against nationwide injunctions would render many court orders worthless.
    — Ian Millhiser, Vox, 9 May 2025
Definition of worthless
Adjective
  • Officials said he was found semiconscious on the River Trail on June 30 but resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • Efforts to refloat the ship during high tide on Thursday were unsuccessful.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2025
Definition of unsuccessful

Phrases Containing emptiness

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empties
emptiness
empty
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Cite this Entry

“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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