void 1 of 3

adjective

ˈvȯid How to pronounce void (audio)
Definition of voidnext
1
as in null
having no legal or binding force an agreement is void if obtained by force

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2
as in empty
lacking contents that could or should be present a nuclear explosion that would leave the landscape as void and lifeless as one could imagine

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3
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected entirely void of common sense

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4
as in deserted
left unoccupied or unused the cornfields lay void under a blanket of snow

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void

2 of 3

noun

1
as in gap
an incomplete or deficient area a repressed memory that left a huge void in her recollection of her adolescent years

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2
as in emptiness
empty space those ancient travelers who traversed those vast watery voids between the islands of Oceania

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3
as in hole
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge) the client wanted an old-fashioned stone wall and did not want the voids filled in with mortar

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void

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to repeal
to put an end to by formal action the court's decision voided the will the cashier voided the sale when the customer realized his wallet was at home

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2
as in to empty
to remove the contents of the seller has promised to void the house of all furniture

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective void contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of void are blank, empty, vacant, and vacuous. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

When is it sensible to use blank instead of void?

The words blank and void are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When might empty be a better fit than void?

The synonyms empty and void are sometimes interchangeable, but empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When can vacant be used instead of void?

In some situations, the words vacant and void are roughly equivalent. However, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

In what contexts can vacuous take the place of void?

Although the words vacuous and void have much in common, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

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 void
Adjective
With a void year, the cap hit could be spread to $10 million in 2026 with $5 million in dead money in 2027. —Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026 To save humankind, a geophysicist living with early-onset Alzheimer’s is recruited to investigate the vast void swallowing the oceans. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
Carter and Davis can potentially fill the void left by David Blay II, who is out of eligibility and is leaving UM after one season. —Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026 Kelly and King shake things up around the half-hour mark by venturing into the real world, where Grace (Cristin Milioti), the mother of two boys unusually far apart in age, starts being overcome by uneasy feelings about a cold dark void. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
Four days later, Musk became the first person ever worth $700 billion, after the Delaware Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that had voided an award of Tesla stock options now worth $126 billion to Musk. —Matt Durot, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026 Following the 2024 season, the parent company of Bally Sports KC voided its deal with the Royals. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for void
Recent Examples of Synonyms for void
  1. empty
  2. devoid
  3. deserted
  4. gap
  5. emptiness
  6. hole
  7. repeal
  8. invalid
Adjective
  • Crews later located a debris field near the area where the alert was sent, and found a body in the water and an empty life raft, according to the Coast Guard.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Nanos declined to answer many questions about the case Tuesday but did confirm that there was an empty frame for a security camera near Guthrie’s front door.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Definition of 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
  • That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2024
Definition of devoid
Adjective
  • Displaced families often spend weeks, sometimes months, in makeshift dwellings, including public squares and deserted government buildings, while children lose months or even years of education as schools close or become inaccessible owing to gang activity.
    — Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
  • When their plane crashes, Linda and Bradley find themselves together on a deserted island.
    — Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of deserted
Noun
  • Get those four points — with the win over the Bruins being in regulation — and Florida’s gap will be down to five points for the final spot, a much more manageable situation to work through than their current spot.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Over the last few years, Strober says the company’s success proves that the gap in women’s health care was a systemic oversight and one ripe for innovation.
    — Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 3 Feb. 2026
Definition of gap
Noun
  • Kerr and several staffers compared the emptiness around downtown, coupled with the frigid temperatures outside, to feelings that existed during COVID.
    — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Many roads in Austin remained icy on Monday morning and many coffee shops and restaurants echoed the emptiness on the streets with their own temporary closures.
    — Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of emptiness
Noun
  • This week’s forecast, appropriately enough, calls for sunshine and temperatures in the mid-70s for the 72-hole event.
    — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Across the street, crime scene investigators took photos of a silver Chevy car, which had at least one bullet hole in its front windshield.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of hole
Verb
  • His amendment would have repealed the $75 billion funding increase that ICE received as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and redirect those funds to Medicaid.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
  • The spending bill, which was passed by the House last week, would repeal that law.
    — Mary Clare Jalonick, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Definition of repeal
Adjective
  • The state attributed the delay in posting numbers to scrutiny of potentially invalid signatures.
    — News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
  • However, DeGeneres' lawyers are arguing that delivery of the suit should be declared invalid because the attempts to serve the host with the papers had been made at the business management firm, NKSFB, LLC.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of invalid

Phrases Containing void

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voicing
void
voidance
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Cite this Entry

“Void.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/void. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on void

Nglish: Translation of void for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about void

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