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

Explanation

If something is hollow, it is empty on the inside. A chocolate Easter bunny looks like so much chocolate until you realize that it is hollow and quickly eaten. The idea of emptiness is apparent in the other uses for hollow too. A valley between mountains is called a hollow and if you're really thin, you may have hollow cheeks. Things like words and promises are hollow if the person uttering them does not intend to keep them. And a hollow victory is not very satisfying, as it means that you have reached your goal, but lost something more important along the way.

Example Sentences

Other games up for the top prize include blockbusters Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2, indie games Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades II, and indie adventure Blue Prince.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

Beyond the hope of seeing horrible people punished and not-horrible people flourish, which I am always down for, did I care much about the fate of Jasper Hollow or Constance’s silver mine?

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

He was an uncredited writer on "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" and Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow".

From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025

Rzeszów exudes a wholesome vibe reminiscent of Stars Hollow, Conn., the fictional town in “Gilmore Girls.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

At Hollow Hall, I stow my cloak outside between the logs of a woodpile and enter through the kitchens, where supper is being prepared.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

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