empty 1 of 2

adjective

ˈem(p)-tē How to pronounce empty (audio)
Definition of emptynext
1
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present the refrigerator is empty, so we'll have to eat out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food as the long car trip wore on, we all started to feel a little empty

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in meaningless
having no meaning spare me your empty apologies because if you were truly sorry, you'd change

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in worthless
having no usefulness an empty task that was assigned just to keep us busy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in unsuccessful
producing no results all of the leads in the missing-person case were turning up empty

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6
as in blank
not expressing any emotion the speaker looked out at a crowd of empty faces

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

empty

2 of 2

verb

as in to evacuate
to remove the contents of empty the room before starting to paint the ceiling

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective empty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of empty are blank, vacant, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When might blank be a better fit than empty?

While in some cases nearly identical to empty, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When could vacant be used to replace empty?

The words vacant and empty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

When is vacuous a more appropriate choice than empty?

Although the words vacuous and empty have much in common, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When would void be a good substitute for empty?

The meanings of void and empty largely overlap; however, void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

How does the adjective empty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of empty are blank, vacant, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When might blank be a better fit than empty?

While in some cases nearly identical to empty, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When could vacant be used to replace empty?

The words vacant and empty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

When is vacuous a more appropriate choice than empty?

Although the words vacuous and empty have much in common, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When would void be a good substitute for empty?

The meanings of void and empty largely overlap; however, void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of empty
Adjective
This Monday, however, the 2,030 foot-long pool sat completely empty, save for a smattering of construction vehicles, portable toilets and traffic cones. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026 At these schools, as the miniature chairs empty, the options available to each remaining student for electives, clubs, and extracurriculars go down too. —Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Denver Water will empty Antero Reservoir this summer, moving the water downstream to minimize water lost to evaporation during a record-setting drought. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026 Down 30 with seven minutes left, Ott waved the white flag and emptied his bench, trying to move on to Wednesday’s Game 2 as quickly as possible. —Doug Haller, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for empty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty
  1. devoid
  2. hungry
  3. meaningless
  4. worthless
  5. unsuccessful
  6. blank
  7. evacuate
  8. barren
Adjective
  • Too often, supporters have felt the players have struggled to even offer that, with meek away performances against Sunderland (3-0 defeat), Brighton & Hove Albion (2-0 defeat) and Everton (2-0 defeat) displaying a side devoid of belief and beaten before kick-off.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • In addition to the entire resort being devoid of single-use plastic, the property also participates in marine conservation efforts that include coral restoration and turtle rehabilitation.
    — Christina Liao, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of devoid
Adjective
  • Netflix is definitely still hungry for its first Best Picture win, and Gerwig has not been the type to show any aversion to awards campaigns.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
  • Which doesn’t limit your creativity or your drive to keep going, to keep searching, to keep being hungry.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2026
Definition of hungry
Adjective
  • The second happens when the cords of logic break entirely; these patients jump from idea to idea in a meaningless way, and their speech is nonsensical—what doctors call word salad.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • And at the same time, how meaningless a basketball game actually was in the bigger scheme of things.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • The joke implies that Timur, stripped of all the trappings of power and authority, is essentially worthless.
    — Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
  • If Zaslav couldn’t get the stock price higher than $10 within five years, his options would ultimately be worthless.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of worthless
Adjective
  • The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The child was taken to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Azle, where additional lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, the sheriff's office said.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of unsuccessful
Adjective
  • The entire thing is a beautifully chaotic blank canvas for Sacramento’s music community to collaborate and mishmash within itself, to forge a platoon of one-off troupes and ramshackle supergroups — check out some prior videos on the event’s Instagram.
    — Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
  • Her blank face fills the screen.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of blank
Verb
  • Israeli leaders have said forces will continue to occupy a buffer zone across southern Lebanon, from which residents have been forced to evacuate, indefinitely, until the Hezbollah threat is removed.
    — May 1, CBS News, 1 May 2026
  • More than a dozen people evacuated the organization's premises in Brantley County on April 21 because of the Highway 82 wildfire.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
Definition of evacuate
Adjective
  • The experience gave me a front-row seat to the coast’s dramatic beauty, and also a lesson in the abundance of the Arctic, a region often assumed to be barren.
    — Karen Gardiner, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
  • This isn't to say every single post-starburst galaxy is totally barren.
    — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of barren

Phrases Containing empty

Browse Nearby Words

emptiness
empty
empty-headed
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Cite this Entry

“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of empty for Spanish Speakers

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