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

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
Noun
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
Adjective
In December, districts officials said seven of the most empty — Union Park Middle School and Bonneville, Chickasaw, Eccleston, Meadow Woods, McCoy and Orlo Vista elementary schools — were slated to close. —Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026 Real life certainly has its problems, but conspiracy theories don’t offer solutions, only empty promises and targets for blame. —Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Shark Stratos is designed for true hands free maintenance, featuring a NeverTouch Base that handles everything from emptying the dustbin to washing and drying the mop pads. —Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026 That effectively left it as a fourth quarter of nothing by mop-up time, with both benches emptied. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2026 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
  • Similarly, certain medical conditions and symptoms can also impose consistent hunger, including hypothyroidism, PMS, and perimenopause.
    — Caroline Tien, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Thousands of miles from the Middle East, in Brazil, South Asia and East Africa, even small increases in the price of growing and transporting food can deepen hunger and strain already fragile food systems, where millions are already struggling to afford basic staples.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of hunger
Noun
  • For every event that closes, such as the Johannesburg Biennale (held in 1995 and 1997) and the Marrakech Biennale (2004–16), others, like the Lagos Biennial (founded in 2017) and the Stellenbosch Triennial (founded in 2020), emerge to fill the void.
    — Smooth Nzewi, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Padilla had given Perez a phone number, but all her calls went into a void.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of void
Noun
  • Why are there vacancies on Miracle Mile?
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The mayor said the Council’s estimated $2 billion in vacancy reductions, referring to unfilled positions in the city’s workforce, would strain the city’s pocketbook to the point where cuts would be necessary.
    — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
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
  • That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2024
Definition of devoid
Adjective
  • The Hortas were horrified to learn that Tania Hernandez, the owner of the small house where their friend was going hungry, was a social services worker for the state charged with the mission of saving frail, elderly and disabled adults like Rabell.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Without a bobber stopper, on a slack line, your bullet weight will sink to the bottom, but your soft plastic will slowly glide towards the bottom while enticing hungry bass into biting.
    — Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of hungry
Adjective
  • The next frontier for meaningless records?
    — Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • The White House already had dismissed the protests as meaningless.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • America has already achieved an important objective by restoring credibility to our deterrence since military power is worthless if adversaries don’t believe this power will ever be employed.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The winner of the postal contract — a worthless piece of paper without Havana landing rights — was forced to merge.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of worthless
Adjective
  • Attempts to get a comment from the district office were unsuccessful.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Corrections staff attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful, according to the MDOC.
    — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
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 Apr. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on emptiness

Nglish: Translation of emptiness for Spanish Speakers

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