Definition of vacantnext
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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 Some of the employees whose positions were being cut could bump into a vacant position or receive a role based on seniority. Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026 The synagogue has been vacant since the shootings but is undergoing a renovation that will make the building home to a museum, theater, classrooms, library and sanctuary, designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026 While some storefronts in the building are currently vacant, most of the spaces remain occupied by medical businesses whose leases are expected to expire within about six months. Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026 The Cherry Street Community Gardens have opened, a first for the city, using a vacant residential lot on the street near Westminster Boulevard. Heather McRea, Oc Register, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for vacant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacant
Adjective
  • The Hurricanes have a beer skate, which sells for $19 empty and $31 full.
    Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 May 2026
  • Massive empty voids lie between these structures.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • Featuring aching, ferocious performances from Emmy winners Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, Camp Miasma imagines the resurrection of a dormant slasher franchise.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 May 2026
  • Friends since first grade and bandmates since high school, the two 32-year-old Rogers Park natives and founding members of the then-dormant Chicago indie-rock band Twin Peaks weren’t at the Pilsen venue scouting locations for a potential reformation.
    Blair R. Fischer, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • Stock the table with blank sheets of paper and envelopes to write on and decorate with colorful pens, stickers, stamps, and stencils.
    Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2026
  • Nobody is seriously floating Bob Iger or Howard Schultz as a 2028 presidential prospect — the business-builder, centrist blank canvas onto which Americans might project their hopes and dreams.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Adjective
  • In fact the highlight, coming near the conclusion is simply a spectacular car/horse/alien run for the roses down a deserted highway with Sung-Ki riding the horse next to the car, followed by another alien who could give a Kenyan a run for his money in the NY Marathon.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 May 2026
  • Single’s Inferno in particular showcases a cast of women and men mostly in their early twenties on a deserted island, their poreless skin glowing as a breeze blows through their windswept hair.
    Sarah Wang, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Adjective
  • Long, patient takes devoid of nondiegetic elements immerse us in Misael’s rudimentary existence, with birdsong and cracking branches working together with DP Cobi Migliori’s handsome long-shot compositions to create a trancelike atmosphere.
    Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 16 May 2026
  • The first is that, for now at least, this is a fairly low-key and easy-to-watch western drama, largely devoid of the culture war button-pushing that makes Sheridan shows likeLandman and The Madison so maddening.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • Beyond that Constitutional requirement, Census numbers and their off-year demographic studies are used for a wide range of research and economic reports.
    Paula Wethington, CBS News, 14 May 2026
  • The apparent demise of the Voting Rights Act and its immediate effects come after almost a year of extraordinary off-cycle attempts to gerrymander maps around the country.
    Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Adjective
  • For months, the fighters had been quietly clearing a disused water tunnel just over 2 miles long, deep behind enemy lines in the countryside around Aleppo.
    Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
  • It is already known that it will be located on the grounds of a disused former nursery and will include a large pond with a pergola.
    Valentine Ulgu-Servant, Vanity Fair, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Seeking to eliminate Berber forces in the barren mountains of northern Morocco, seven soldiers obediently follow their fanatical sergeant (Víctor Clavijo) into barbarous depths of depravity.
    Ed Meza, Variety, 16 May 2026
  • Officials there have said that Iraqi army forces investigated reports of an unauthorized military force in the Nukhaib desert -- a barren area to the southwest of the cities of Karbala and Najaf -- in early March and came under fire while en route to the location.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacant. Accessed 19 May. 2026.

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