devoid
Americanadjective
verb (used with object)
adjective
Etymology
Origin of devoid
1350–1400; Middle English, originally past participle < Anglo-French, for Old French desvuidier to empty out, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + vuidier to empty, void
Explanation
You're stranded in the ocean, miles from shore, clinging to a sinking boat, and you can't swim? Sorry to say, your situation is devoid of all hope. When you fall off a cliff, you fall into the void. Void means "empty." Devoid means "empty of." Always answer the question "Of what?" when you use it: "My wallet is devoid of cash. My teacher is devoid of pity. My cookie jar is devoid of cookies." These examples are devoid of anything not totally depressing!
Vocabulary lists containing devoid
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
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ACT Vocabulary List
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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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.
I think we’ve reached a point of saturation with food that feels devoid of human authorship.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
All of it is a departure for leaders who rose through the ranks in an era devoid of so much thought to effective coaching and criticism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Raman called the group’s statement “unacceptably devoid of empathy for communities in Israel.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Women's boxing was unsanctioned in Ireland, absent from the Olympic programme and devoid of any clear professional pathway.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
For the first fifteen miles the road climbs through a desert landscape almost devoid of settlement and prone to fog.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
