EMPTY Synonyms: 314 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

empty 1 of 2

adjective

ˈem(p)-tē

Definition of empty

as in devoid

lacking contents that could or should be present the refrigerator is empty, so we'll have to eat out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in meaningless

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in worthless

having no usefulness an empty task that was assigned just to keep us busy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unsuccessful

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in blank

not expressing any emotion the speaker looked out at a crowd of empty faces

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

empty

2 of 2

verb

as in to evacuate

to remove the contents of empty the room before starting to paint the ceiling

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fill
load

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 empty

Adjective

The paper towel dispensers were empty at both hand sinks in the kitchen prep room. — Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Another theory is that with the fall harvest nearly complete, now is a relatively safe time to deport farmworkers in the countryside without immediately worrying about empty shelves in supermarkets, Mejia said. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

Those three details are generally not enough by themselves to empty your bank account, take out a major loan or completely steal your identity. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Khan, whose estate has not become an AI hub in the way that London’s King’s Cross district has, says there’s no sign yet that AI will empty Canary Wharf of its white-collar workers. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for empty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty

Adjective

In a show mostly devoid of explicit messages, the sentiment surprised me.

— Max Norman, New Yorker, 25 June 2026
Players take on the role of a Ditto capable of mimicking its human trainer, and the Pokémon is thrown into a world devoid of humans.

— Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Definition of devoid

Adjective

Big tech firms in the US are pouring billions into advanced nuclear power to feed energy-hungry artificial intelligence.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
The Dodgers needed a healthy Ohtani to deal with a young, hungry ballclub like the Brewers.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of hungry

Adjective

Over the next two games, defenses stopped Baugh in his tracks, limiting him to just 72 yards on 27 carries and a meaningless TD late in a 38-19 loss to South Carolina.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
The point is that in this new format, games that take place in September, or even early October, will feel more meaningless than ever.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of meaningless

Adjective

Celebrated as masterpieces today, at the time they were regarded as the unpolished works of a depressed, crazy man and commercially worthless.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
But a few years back, collectors were paying up to tens of millions for now-worthless NFTs, so the value of anything in the art collectibles world is arguably whatever somebody is willing to pay.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of worthless

Adjective

As the unsuccessful regime-change effort in Iran demonstrated, there are no shortcuts to besting the axis countries, together or individually.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Von Dohlen, a financial adviser and conservative activist who has run three unsuccessful campaigns for City Council, was unopposed in the Republican primary.

— Katie Bartlett, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsuccessful

Adjective

More than 17 of the 26 pages provided were either blank or completely redacted, with large black boxes covering entire messages rather than specific pieces of sensitive information.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Eligible military and overseas voters can receive blank ballots by mail, email or fax.

— Sergio Candido, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of blank

Verb

With some formal firefighter training and background checks, volunteers commit to following fire officials’ orders, helping residents evacuate and putting out spot fires, while leaving the ferocious front-line flames to the professionals.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The last employee to evacuate a data center in Kyiv closed the heavy metal door and took three steps down the stairs when a Russian drone slammed into the building.

— Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of evacuate

Adjective

Centered on the town of Bawiti, this remote depression in Egypt’s Western Desert is surrounded by barren hills, date palms, hot springs and sweeping desert landscapes.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
In Samuel Beckett's tragicomedy, two men wait beside a barren tree for someone called Godot who never arrives.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of barren

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“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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verb

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