hollow

American  

[hol-oh] / ˈhɒl oʊ /

adjective

hollower, hollowest

1. having a space or cavity inside; not solid; empty.

   a hollow sphere.

2. having a depression or concavity.

   a hollow surface.

3. sunken, as the cheeks or eyes.

4. (of sound) not resonant; dull, muffled, or deep.

   a hollow voice.

5. without real or significant worth; meaningless.

   a hollow victory.

   Synonyms:

   pointless, futile, empty, vain

6. insincere or false.

   hollow compliments.

7. hungry; having an empty feeling.

   I feel absolutely hollow, so let's eat.

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noun

1. an empty space within anything; a hole, depression, or cavity.

2. a valley.

   They took the sheep to graze in the hollow.

3. Foundry. a concavity connecting two surfaces otherwise intersecting at an obtuse angle.

verb (used with object)

1. to make hollow (often followed byout ).

   to hollow out a log.

2. to form by making something hollow (often followed byout ).

   to hollow a place in the sand;

   boats hollowed out of logs.

verb (used without object)

1. to become hollow.

adverb

1. in a hollow manner.

   The politician's accusations rang hollow.

idioms

1. beat all hollow, to surpass or outdo completely: Also beat hollow.

   His performance beat the others all hollow.

hollow British  

/ ˈhɒləʊ /

adjective

1. having a hole, cavity, or space within; not solid

2. having a sunken area; concave

3. recessed or deeply set

   hollow cheeks

4. (of sounds) as if resounding in a hollow place

5. without substance or validity

6. hungry or empty

7. insincere; cynical

8. the capacity to eat or drink a lot without ill effects

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adverb

1. informal to defeat someone thoroughly and convincingly

noun

1. a cavity, opening, or space in or within something

2. a depression or dip in the land

verb

1. to make or become hollow

2. to form (a hole, cavity, etc) or (of a hole, etc) to be formed

hollow More Idioms  

1. see beat the pants off (hollow).

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Other Word Forms

• half-hollow adjective
• hollowly adverb
• hollowness noun
• unhollow adjective
• unhollowed adjective

Etymology

Origin of hollow

First recorded before 900; Middle English holow, holw(e), Old English holh “a hollow place”; akin to hole

Example Sentences

“A newsroom cannot be hollowed out without consequences for its credibility, its reach and its future.”

From Salon

Skunks can make many places their home—abandoned burrows constructed by other animals, a hollow log, even underneath your house!

From Literature

Even so, I knew that I couldn’t ever sit in Sunday school again without seeing that shriveled-up face and those hollow eyes.

From Literature

Disney’s struggles with succession over the decades have become epic dramas filled with false starts, larger-than-life leaders reticent to go and allegations of hollow searches for a new CEO.

From Los Angeles Times

“A newsroom cannot be hollowed out with consequences for its credibility, its reach and its future,” the guild said in a statement.

From Salon

Related Words

• empty
• fruitless
• futile
• pointless
• useless
• worthless