emptiness 1 of 3

empty

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adjective

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empty

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verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
But filling those empty positions is not an issue that can be sorted overnight, according to the FAA. Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 6 May 2025 An empty container ship of COSCO Shipping sails to a container terminal in Qingdao in east China’s Shandong province Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 6 May 2025
Verb
When docked, the clean station automatically empties the vacuum’s dustbin. Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 25 Apr. 2025 That’s why Atlanta ignored all the warning signs around the Pearce trade and emptied its wallet to move back into the first round Thursday night and take Pearce. Josh Kendall, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for emptiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness
Noun
  • By voting, supporters not only champion their favorite couples but also fuel real-world solutions to hunger and environmental degradation.
    Partner Content, Variety, 8 May 2025
  • Bakeries and food kitchens have shut down, hunger is widespread and children have suffered malnourishment, the U.N. says.
    Daniel Estrin, NPR, 5 May 2025
Noun
  • Gates expressed concern that philanthropic organizations like his won’t be able to fill the void in global aid left by recent government cuts.
    Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 8 May 2025
  • Zuckerberg insists that, while human connection is irreplaceable, virtual companions could fill the void for people isolated from human connections.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
Noun
  • Apartment industry officials in Colorado have defended the use of algorithms as a means to manage vacancy rates and lower prices.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The model includes hiring additional background investigators, expanding academy classes and increasing advertisements to match the need for filling vacancies.
    Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
  • Managing change proactively rather than reactively means staying hungry, staying humble and staying committed to the long-term vision—especially when things are going well.
    Robert Balentine, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The Kings didn’t push to create offense, with only 15 third-period shot attempts (only six of which went on goal) and instead focused on fending off a hungry Oilers team.
    Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Spraying meaningless reactions across your feed does nothing for your business.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • This team might be torn apart in the next few months and forgotten to history, a meaningless row in a basketball reference page.
    Jared Weiss, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The promise of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore the steep cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program was a worthless lie, betraying the heroes and victims of 9/11.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
  • Eliminating these protections raises the bar for relief and could leave students stuck with debt for worthless credits.
    Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Adjective
  • Each unsuccessful vote will be burned in a furnace with chemicals to dye the plume a black color.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 2 May 2025
  • During his unsuccessful 2022 congressional bid, Kent consulted with Nick Fuentes, the young white supremacist, and hired a campaign adviser who was a member of the Proud Boys, a violent far-right group.
    Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 14 May. 2025.

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