1
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
the refrigerator is empty, so we'll have to eat out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in meaningless
having no meaning
spare me your empty apologies because if you were truly sorry, you'd change
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in worthless
having no usefulness
an empty task that was assigned just to keep us busy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
all of the leads in the missing-person case were turning up empty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in blank
not expressing any emotion
the speaker looked out at a crowd of empty faces
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 2025
Ehlers added a second goal with the Stars’ net empty.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
The Jets emptied their net and watched as the seconds ticked off the clock in the offensive zone, just hoping for a shot on net to give them a chance at the 3-3 tie and the game in overtime.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for empty
Adjective
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Jenna said the tank of acetylene was empty.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 2025
Ehlers added a second goal with the Stars’ net empty.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Verb
Every day, a housemate was assigned to clean the kitchen and the bathroom and to empty the garbage.
—Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
The Jets emptied their net and watched as the seconds ticked off the clock in the offensive zone, just hoping for a shot on net to give them a chance at the 3-3 tie and the game in overtime.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for empty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Remember the body blow of injustice, and don’t get mad — get hungry.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2025
-
The result is a record which captures Motörhead in their formative period, fresh from the early lineup which recorded the tracks that would later make up 1979’s On Parole album, yet hungry with the ambition that would turn them into one of the U.K.’s biggest heavy exports of the ’70s and ’80s.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
And yet, in certain ways, the film doesn’t go as deep as Orwell’s observations; its choice of illustrative material generally hews to contemporary party lines, even while showcasing wise words that render such distinctions all but meaningless.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
-
Passion projects are paused indefinitely, tasks feel meaningless, and things at work that used to make sense now just seem pointless.—
Lindsay Kohler,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Life seems almost worthless in this world, as the lack of interest two federal police officers show in the dead body establishes why Marcelo can’t go to the authorities for help.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
18 May 2025
-
The answer is that American assurances are worthless.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Several attempts to establish at least a partial ceasefire have been unsuccessful.—
DASHA LITVINOVA,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
-
Later that month, Kalyn Free, an attorney from Oklahoma who was unsuccessful in her bid for a vice chair position, filed a complaint alleging that the DNC improperly merged two separate questions into a single vote.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Since late March, ocean freight rates have largely remained level to both U.S. coasts, largely due to the blank sailings cancelling out the collapse in imports.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
12 May 2025
-
The 17 confirmed blank sailings in May alone are equivalent to 225,000 fewer 20-foot equivalent units of cargo, or TEUs.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2025
Verb
-
Smith, his pregnant wife, and two-year-old son safely evacuated their Altadena house before it was lost in January’s deadly wildfires, but Smith’s friend launched a GoFundMe on the artist’s behalf to help recoup the loss of their house, musical instruments, car, and more belongings.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
19 May 2025
-
As a result, approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forced to evacuate their homes and leave their jobs to live in the camps that were surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards, conditions that are now drawing comparisons to modern-day detention facilities.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.—
Cheryl Russell,
Oc Register,
11 May 2025
-
The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share