empty
containing nothing; having none of the usual or appropriate contents: an empty bottle.
having no occupant or occupants; vacant; unoccupied: an empty house.
without cargo or load: an empty wagon.
destitute of people or human activity: We walked along the empty streets of the city at night.
destitute of some quality or qualities; devoid (usually followed by of): Theirs is a life now empty of happiness.
without force, effect, or significance; hollow; meaningless: empty compliments; empty pleasures.
not employed in useful activity or work; idle: empty summer days.
hungry: I'm feeling rather empty—let's have lunch.
completely spent of emotion: The experience had left him with an empty heart.
to make empty; deprive of contents; discharge the contents of: to empty a bucket.
to discharge (contents): to empty the water out of a bucket.
to become empty: The room emptied rapidly after the lecture.
to discharge contents, as a river: The river empties into the sea.
Informal. something that is empty, as a box, bottle, or can: Throw the empties into the waste bin.
Origin of empty
1synonym study For empty
Other words for empty
Opposites for empty
Other words from empty
- emp·ti·a·ble, adjective
- emp·ti·er, noun
- emp·ti·ly, adverb
- emp·ti·ness, noun
- o·ver·emp·ty, adjective
- qua·si-emp·ty, adjective
- self-emp·ty·ing, adjective
- un·emp·tied, adjective
- un·emp·ty, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use empty in a sentence
In the past few months, as the drums of violence have beaten, the hotels, bars, and restaurants of Beirut have become emptier.
Leaders of La Familia claim the group will stop attending games, which they say will leave the bleachers much emptier.
Are Beitar Jerusalem's Racist Fans Ruining Israeli Soccer? | Orly Halpern | February 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTWhether the stadium or the speech was emptier is the obvious question of the moment.
Michael Tomasky on Mitt Romney’s Tax-Plan Flim-Flam | Michael Tomasky | February 25, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTI'd like to think the beaches and pools are a lot emptier for the day than they used to be.
Bare as the shop had looked when he first entered, he now saw it to be even emptier than he had thought.
Mrs. Vanderstein's jewels | Mrs. Charles Bryce
The streets grew emptier: lights appeared behind blinds in upper windows, and only an occasional step sounded on the pavements.
Dodo's Daughter | E. F. BensonThe further he drove upon his southwesterly course, the emptier were the well-known thoroughfares.
The Shadow of the Rope | E. W. HornungThat keg, when Harry had tilted it to give those few swallows to the passenger, had sounded alarmingly emptier than before.
The Pike's Peak Rush | Edwin L. SabinThe greater the number of hungry mouths, the emptier the stomachs, the more quickly would the "Class War" be precipitated.
The Pivot of Civilization | Margaret Sanger
British Dictionary definitions for empty
/ (ˈɛmptɪ) /
containing nothing
without inhabitants; vacant or unoccupied
carrying no load, passengers, etc
without purpose, substance, or value: an empty life
insincere or trivial: empty words
not expressive or vital; vacant: she has an empty look
informal hungry
(postpositive foll by of) devoid; destitute: a life empty of happiness
informal drained of energy or emotion: after the violent argument he felt very empty
maths logic (of a set or class) containing no members
philosophy logic (of a name or description) having no reference
to make or become empty
(when intr, foll by into) to discharge (contents)
(tr often foll by of) to unburden or rid (oneself): to empty oneself of emotion
an empty container, esp a bottle
Origin of empty
1Derived forms of empty
- emptiable, adjective
- emptier, noun
- emptily, adverb
- emptiness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with empty
In addition to the idioms beginning with empty
- empty calories
- empty nest
- empty suit
also see:
- glass is half full (half empty)
- running on empty
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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