First recorded in 1960–65; empty nest + -er 1
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Having a third child, which she still thinks about, would mean she wouldn’t be an empty nester until her mid-60s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
For Veronica P., an empty nester who moved to Olive Dell in March 2024, the ranch offered her acceptance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025
Now, I'm an empty nester with an as-yet unpublished novel in a marriage where we can finish each other's sentences.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2024
After losing a loved one, going through a breakup or becoming an empty nester, our items can become laced with deep sentiment.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
“I know I have to be an empty nester again. I know he has to be on his own. But my heart hurts.”
From New York Times ● May 14, 2021
Bryant is a recent empty-nester, so she’s looking for someone who’s experienced as much life as she has and knows how to have fun at the same time.
From Salon ● May 5, 2025
And, like that, I became an afternoon empty-nester.
From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2022
As the "Friends" alum prepares to be an empty-nester, she spoke to People magazine about motherhood and her relationship with Coco.
From Fox News ● Jan. 27, 2022
Going home, where he can visit his empty-nester parents, was a major plus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2021
And neither is her guest of honor that day, Michelle Obama, the nation’s most famous empty-nester, who told Winfrey she’s trying to figure out “how I want to spend the rest of my life.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 12, 2020
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.
