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empty

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verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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
On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025 There are about 45,000 empty seats in the district, equivalent to about 50 schools. Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
The extended lead allowed Miami to empty the bench and giving reserves a chance for game reps — just like Miami was also able to do in the first two games of the series after pulling out to big leads early. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2025 While emptying out the entire federal workforce is not a likely occurrence, receiving a buyout offer of your own is not so far-fetched. Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for empty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty
Adjective
  • Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
  • The medication has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and sound and cause users to feel devoid from pain and out of control of their surroundings.
    Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2023
Adjective
  • And in 2023, Jimmy Kimmel anticipated that his audience might be hungry, and stashed snacks underneath their seats (with attendant donations to the L.A. Food Bank).
    Justine Fisher, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Chelsea’s ownership viewed them all as young, smart, hungry, motivated people at the right point of their respective career arcs.
    Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • If Missouri were to abolish state income taxes, tax credits would become meaningless.
    Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Xavier is headed out of the silo Xavier was always going to leave the silo to try to find his wife, despite a brief tryst with Sinatra's therapist, Dr. Gabriela Torabi (Sarah Shahi), that wound up being meaningless from both a plot and character perspective.
    Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This makes any concessions congressional Democrats may be able to obtain from their Republican colleagues worthless.
    William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
  • These pump-and-dump schemes artificially inflate stock prices, allowing the perpetrators to sell at a high price before the stock inevitably crashes, leaving investors with worthless shares.
    True Tamplin, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Stephanie played her shot in the dark (a 1 in 6 chance at safety in exchange for a vote), but was unsuccessful and the 38-year-old tech product lead living in Brooklyn was the first person to be voted out of Season 48.
    Emily DeLetter, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
  • While the administration's efforts to slash the size of the federal government are embroiled in various lawsuits, court challenges to halt the shutdown of USAID have been unsuccessful so far.
    GARY FIELDS AND ELLEN KNICKMEYER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Going to Naples with a ‘blank canvas’ Styler has long had a relationship with Italy, having acted in three films in the country in the 1980s and giving birth to her third child, Eliot, in Pisa in 1990.
    Lucy Handley, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Fraser’s doofus-y blank face essentially requires his co-stars to do all the work and, uh … ain’t no way Ford’s working that hard.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Even if a museum diligently evacuates its work, there can still be damage, added Rozhko.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The Cannon House Office Building was forced to evacuate which delayed the vote on the government funding bill.
    Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Such descriptions enliven the book, and capture Shubin’s reverence for both the beauty and the mysteries hidden in the cold, barren tundra.
    The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
  • For most of its barren interior, life is an afterthought—nature’s great white void, frozen in time.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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