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

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

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
The Eagles typically add void years to bring down a cap number. —Dianna Russini, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026 Late or incomplete entries will be void. —AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League and former two-term mayor of New Orleans, said the organization will build a combination of advocacy and programs to fill the void in these communities. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Mar. 2026 To fill this void created by colleges of education, schools have been given the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. —Scott Ervin, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Broncos, like pretty much all teams, are using bonuses, proration and void years to manage their cap currently. —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2026 The move is the latest in a long-simmering legal battle after Panama’s high court voided the company’s contracts. —Dylan Spencer, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 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
  • The empty gold frames on the walls of the Dutch Room at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston might be the most famous empty frames in the world.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Kabul said Pakistan hit two locations, including an empty security site and a drug rehabilitation center that sustained minor damage.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 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
  • In Send Help, now in theaters, Linda (Rachel McAdams) and her overbearing boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) survive a plane crash and become stranded on a deserted island, where their past office grievances become a violent fight for survival.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The film is an adaptation of the ghost novel of the same name, which follows a married couple who travel to Europe to adopt a baby and stay in a deserted hotel filled with eccentric characters.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of deserted
Noun
  • After logging his biggest hit of the tournament, pulling a changeup into the gap in left-center field, Eugenio Suarez glided into second base and raised his arms high in the air as his Venezuela teammates emptied from the dugout to celebrate at home plate.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Eventually, the gap between a fifty-thousand-dollar drone and a three-million-dollar interceptor becomes important; there were reports, this past weekend, that Israel had begun to run low on interceptors.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of gap
Noun
  • The emptiness was an eerie reminder of how the country felt during Covid-19.
    — Emma Graham, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
  • In another photographer’s hands, Atget’s subjects, which show how thought and vision can work in tandem with emptiness, would likely be only a backdrop to the drama of humanity.
    — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of emptiness
Noun
  • Acuña grounded to the shortstop hole and beat Antonacci’s throw from the outfield grass as pinch-runner Andrés Giménez scored.
    — Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Photographs shown to jurors depicted bullet holes in the exterior walls of the residence and inside the bedroom where Moïse was killed.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of hole
Verb
  • Last month, the EPA repealed the endangerment finding, which affirmed the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions and underpinned the agency’s ability to regulate those emissions from vehicles.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
  • If the Legislature wanted to really help the city with its finances, then bring back the modest New York City commuter tax that was wrongly repealed on May 17, 1999.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of repeal
Adjective
  • Some candidates who submitted petitions by the March 4 deadline failed to qualify because some of their signatures were deemed invalid.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
  • All three had dissented in 2024 when the full 4th Circuit in an 8-6 ruling declared West Virginia’s law invalid.
    — Reuters 21 hr ago, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 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 18 Mar. 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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