hollow
Americanadjective
-
having a space or cavity inside; not solid; empty.
a hollow sphere.
-
having a depression or concavity.
a hollow surface.
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sunken, as the cheeks or eyes.
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(of sound) not resonant; dull, muffled, or deep.
a hollow voice.
-
without real or significant worth; meaningless.
a hollow victory.
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insincere or false.
hollow compliments.
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hungry; having an empty feeling.
I feel absolutely hollow, so let's eat.
noun
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an empty space within anything; a hole, depression, or cavity.
-
a valley.
They took the sheep to graze in the hollow.
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Foundry. a concavity connecting two surfaces otherwise intersecting at an obtuse angle.
verb (used with object)
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to make hollow (often followed byout ).
to hollow out a log.
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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)
adverb
idioms
adjective
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having a hole, cavity, or space within; not solid
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having a sunken area; concave
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recessed or deeply set
hollow cheeks
-
(of sounds) as if resounding in a hollow place
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without substance or validity
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hungry or empty
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insincere; cynical
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the capacity to eat or drink a lot without ill effects
adverb
noun
-
a cavity, opening, or space in or within something
-
a depression or dip in the land
verb
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to make or become hollow
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to form (a hole, cavity, etc) or (of a hole, etc) to be formed
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has hollowedperfect 3rd person singular
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have hollowedperfect
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am hollowingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been hollowingperfect progressive
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has been hollowingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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hollowingparticiple
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is hollowingprogressive 3rd person singular
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hollowssingular 3rd person
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are hollowingprogressive
Past
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had hollowedperfect
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had been hollowingperfect progressive
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were hollowingprogressive plural
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was hollowingprogressive singular
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hollowedparticiple
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hollowedsimple
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing hollow
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Excerpt from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Eliot theorized in his 1925 poem “The Hollow Men,” a bleak assessment of life after the first world war.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
Eliot theorized in his 1925 poem “The Hollow Men,” a bleak assessment of life after the first world war.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
Alex Fitzpatrick hit a sparkling seven-under-par 64 to seize a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
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
Harry would gladly have set out for Godric’s Hollow the following day, but Hermione had other ideas.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
