empty-handed
Americanadjective
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having nothing in the hands, as in doing no work.
While we were carrying out the luggage, he stood by empty-handed.
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having gained nothing.
to return from a quest empty-handed.
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bringing no gift, donation, etc..
They came to the birthday party empty-handed.
adjective
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carrying nothing in the hands
-
having gained nothing
they returned from the negotiations empty-handed
Etymology
Origin of empty-handed
First recorded in 1605–15
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.
Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos, walked out of his office empty-handed.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026
Bumper-to-bumper traffic continued to line the surrounding streets, and scores of people were turned away empty-handed.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
Pederson isn’t alone in walking away empty-handed from the bet-on-anything markets, which cover sports, celebrities, news and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
To let it slip and finish empty-handed would be cruel, but this is the environment they are operating in.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
I buy the notebook with the walrus because I don’t want to leave such an amazing store empty-handed.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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.
