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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vacant contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vacant are blank, empty, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

When can blank be used instead of vacant?

While in some cases nearly identical to vacant, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When would empty be a good substitute for vacant?

In some situations, the words empty and vacant are roughly equivalent. However, empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When is vacuous a more appropriate choice than vacant?

While the synonyms vacuous and vacant are close in meaning, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When is it sensible to use void instead of vacant?

The words void and vacant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 vacant Those against preserving the vacant building noted it had been overtaken by homeless occupants and would have required millions of dollars to restore after the building had been flooded and damaged. Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025 The speed at which Spirit Halloween stores take over a shuttered business or vacant building has become a running joke online. Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025 Maintenance issues with buses and vacant operator positions could force Miami-Dade to deliver later arrivals than what’s laid out in the schedule. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025 The space has been vacant since then. Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vacant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacant
Adjective
  • When you’re done, simply pop open the large dustbin and empty debris directly into the trash—no tugging out tangled hair or gunk required.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Most retailers sign leases at the beginning of the year, so by midsummer, when Spirit is hunting for empty buildings, there isn’t much competition for whatever’s available.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The latent varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the body after a person has chicken pox.
    Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Planting Too Late The best time to plant fruit trees is in spring or fall, when the trees are dormant and the weather is still mild.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • As a completely blank canvas, the venue space is versatile, offering multiple layouts for large-scale events and floor-to-ceiling windows.
    Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
  • It was filled with blank pieces of paper .
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The streets below looked deserted.
    Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • An Arizona biker facing the death penalty went on trial this week, charged with killing one woman and raping another who was left bleeding on a deserted Phoenix street in 2014.
    Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 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
  • That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
  • On the right side of the room, a steel cut image is projected from the wall with fiberglass rods arranged in an off center trapezoid.
    Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
  • And then the third Wednesday is an off week.
    Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Then over time, a few enterprising communities and entrepreneurs looked for ways to turn disused asylums into something productive, Rondinone said, something that could bring jobs and revenue back once again.
    Jen Rose Smith, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The piece is a collection of disused shoemaker boxes, once used by cobblers to keep tools, pressed against each other and stacked up, clambering toward the ceiling.
    Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • An arid, barren landscape with extreme temperature swings from 45 to -40 degrees Celsius (113 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit).
    Rosanna Philpott, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship.
    Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacant. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on vacant

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