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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
Including the empty nets Suzuki and Slafkovský had Saturday against the Canucks off Demidov passes, that’s six of his seven assists this season being directly responsible for the goals that were scored. Arpon Basu, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025 Some were left empty as residents stayed home in fear, while others couldn’t open because employees were too afraid to come to work. Bulmaro Vicente, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
This Panasonic point-and-shoot digital camera is an easy-to-use starter option for anyone looking to up their picture game and not have to worry about draining their phone battery throughout the day or having to empty their storage space to take more vacation photos. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025 The Heat used Fontecchio, Jaquez, Jovic and Smith off the bench to complete its nine-man rotation against the Grizzlies before emptying its bench late in the rout. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 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
  • That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
  • Europe has been hungry for a homegrown alternative to Starlink, which dominates the sector — the service has been vital to Ukrainian troops in the war against Russia, and fears of a possible shutdown accelerated Europe’s space ambitions.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • But, locally, even a temporary closure of CalFresh will push a flood of hungry people toward free food providers, a countywide network of roughly 600 food pantries and food banks.
    Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • To me, that feels like a meaningless question in most cases, because the violence is here.
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
  • If the cosmic ray bound turns out to be meaningless, r is allowed to be even lower.
    Big Think, Big Think, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Another recurring feature of the biggest asset booms is outright chicanery, such as fraudulent accounting, the marketing of worthless securities, and plain old stealing.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Marks drew a parallel to the late 1990s internet boom, which promised to transform the world — and ultimately did — yet left a trail of worthless companies in its wake.
    Yun Li, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Mellon family foundation did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment, and attempts by the Times to reach Mellon were unsuccessful.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • As a completely blank canvas, the venue space is versatile, offering multiple layouts for large-scale events and floor-to-ceiling windows.
    Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
  • It was filled with blank pieces of paper .
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If told to evacuate, do so immediately.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Other residents of the apartment building and people living in nearby houses were evacuated amid the police’s investigation.
    Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • An arid, barren landscape with extreme temperature swings from 45 to -40 degrees Celsius (113 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit).
    Rosanna Philpott, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship.
    Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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