hollow

[hol-oh]

adjective

hollower, hollowest 

1. having a space or cavity inside; not solid; empty.

   a hollow sphere.

2. having a depression or concavity.

   a hollow surface.

3. sunken, as the cheeks or eyes.

4. (of sound) not resonant; dull, muffled, or deep.

   a hollow voice.

5. without real or significant worth; meaningless.

   a hollow victory.

   Synonyms: pointless, futile, empty, vain

6. insincere or false.

   hollow compliments.

7. hungry; having an empty feeling.

   I feel absolutely hollow, so let's eat.

noun

1. an empty space within anything; a hole, depression, or cavity.

2. a valley.

   They took the sheep to graze in the hollow.

3. Foundry.,  a concavity connecting two surfaces otherwise intersecting at an obtuse angle.

verb (used with object)

1. to make hollow (often followed byout ).

   to hollow out a log.

2. 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)

1. to become hollow.

adverb

1. in a hollow manner.

   The politician's accusations rang hollow.

hollow

/ ˈhɒləʊ /

adjective

1. having a hole, cavity, or space within; not solid

2. having a sunken area; concave

3. recessed or deeply set

   hollow cheeks

4. (of sounds) as if resounding in a hollow place

5. without substance or validity

6. hungry or empty

7. insincere; cynical

8. the capacity to eat or drink a lot without ill effects

adverb

1. informal,  to defeat someone thoroughly and convincingly

noun

1. a cavity, opening, or space in or within something

2. a depression or dip in the land

verb

1. to make or become hollow

2. to form (a hole, cavity, etc) or (of a hole, etc) to be formed

Other Word Forms

• hollowly adverb
• hollowness noun
• half-hollow adjective
• unhollow adjective
• unhollowed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hollow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English holow, holw(e), Old English holh “a hollow place”; akin to hole

Word History and Origins

Origin of hollow¹

C12: from holu, inflected form of Old English holh cave; related to Old Norse holr, German hohl; see _hole

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. beat all hollow, to surpass or outdo completely: Also beat hollow.

   His performance beat the others all hollow.

see beat the pants off (hollow).

Example Sentences

There is only emptiness: a hollow space where a heart should be, ready to be filled with cold, hard cash.

Read more on Salon

The crew explodes in cheering, celebration, and laughter—but it feels hollow as I look at Autumn.

Read more on Literature

This time they hid the boat in a hollow among the roots of an enormous tree.

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She taught him—by demonstrating—to seek shelter in caves or hollow trees when the weather was icy cold.

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Divers harvesting sponges on the ocean floor using only a hollow reed to breathe through remained a prime industry on the Greek islands.

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Related Words

• empty 
• fruitless 
• futile 
• pointless 
• useless 
• worthless