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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 empty
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 empty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty
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
  • The result is a record which captures Motörhead in their formative period, fresh from the early lineup which recorded the tracks that would later make up 1979’s On Parole album, yet hungry with the ambition that would turn them into one of the U.K.’s biggest heavy exports of the ’70s and ’80s.
    Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 9 May 2025
  • Remember the body blow of injustice, and don’t get mad — get hungry.
    Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 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
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Several attempts to establish at least a partial ceasefire have been unsuccessful.
    DASHA LITVINOVA, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
  • Later that month, Kalyn Free, an attorney from Oklahoma who was unsuccessful in her bid for a vice chair position, filed a complaint alleging that the DNC improperly merged two separate questions into a single vote.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • Since late March, ocean freight rates have largely remained level to both U.S. coasts, largely due to the blank sailings cancelling out the collapse in imports.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 12 May 2025
  • The 17 confirmed blank sailings in May alone are equivalent to 225,000 fewer 20-foot equivalent units of cargo, or TEUs.
    Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Los Angeles fires impacts GoFundMe CEO Cadogan was forced to evacuate during the deadly Eaton Fire that swept through Altadena in January.
    James Powel, USA Today, 8 May 2025
  • Police said Ruiz continued to threaten the officers the whole time, and other officers evacuated nearby apartments and businesses.
    Harry Harris, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.
    Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 11 May 2025
  • The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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