emptier; emptiest
1
a
: containing nothing
empty shelves
b
: not occupied or inhabited
an empty building
c
d
: not pregnant
empty heifer
e
: null sense 4a
the empty set
2
3
: hungry
5
: marked by the absence of human life, activity, or comfort
an empty silence
emptied; emptying
1
2
: to remove from what holds or encloses
1
: to become empty
the theater emptied quickly
2
: to discharge contents
the river empties into the ocean
Examples of empty in a Sentence
Adjective
The arena was completely empty.
She felt trapped in an empty marriage.
unhappy people leading empty lives
Verb
She emptied the contents of her purse onto the table.
It's your turn to empty the trash.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kymberlee Montgomery, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
On a rainy morning, the restaurant, made up of a few four-seat tables leading to the stage area, was mostly empty.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
Tim Lister and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025
On Tuesday night, the crew emptied several of them, firing at Russian drones streaking toward Odesa and its outskirts.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Elizabeth Barnes, Verywell Health, 24 Feb. 2025
Once a cat eats, the stomach empties within a few hours as food moves into the small intestine.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empty
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Imagine nearly every seat in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center − over 20,000 seats − are empty.
—Kymberlee Montgomery, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
On a rainy morning, the restaurant, made up of a few four-seat tables leading to the stage area, was mostly empty.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
The Israeli strategy, set out by Defense Minister Israel Katz, is to empty large parts of Gaza and treat anyone staying behind as a combatant.
—Tim Lister and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025
On Tuesday night, the crew emptied several of them, firing at Russian drones streaking toward Odesa and its outskirts.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
There is some evidence that apple cider vinegar use may delay gastric emptying, which is the rate at which food empties from your stomach.
—Elizabeth Barnes, Verywell Health, 24 Feb. 2025
Once a cat eats, the stomach empties within a few hours as food moves into the small intestine.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empty
Cite this Entry
“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empty. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
empty
1 of 3 adjective
emp·ty
ˈem(p)-tē 
emptier; emptiest
1
: containing nothing
an empty box
2
: not being lived in
an empty house
3
: having no reality or importance
empty dreams
4
: lacking in value, sense, effect, or sincerity
empty threats
5
: hungry sense 1
feel empty before dinner
6
: having no members
empty set
empty
2 of 3 verb
emptied; emptying
1
: to make empty : remove the contents of
empty a barrel
2
: to remove all of from a container
empty flour from a bag
3
: to become empty
the theater emptied quickly
4
: to give forth contents (as fluid) : discharge
the river empties into the ocean
empty
3 of 3 noun
plural empties
: an empty container
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