empty

[ emp-tee ]

/ ˈɛmp ti /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR empty ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, emp·ti·er, emp·ti·est.

containing nothing; having none of the usual or appropriate contents: an empty bottle.

vacant; unoccupied: an empty house.

without cargo or load: an empty wagon.

destitute of people or human activity: We walked along the empty streets of the city at night.

destitute of some quality or qualities; devoid (usually followed by of): Theirs is a life now empty of happiness.

without force, effect, or significance; hollow; meaningless: empty compliments; empty pleasures.

not employed in useful activity or work; idle: empty summer days.

Mathematics. (of a set) containing no elements; null; void.

hungry: I'm feeling rather empty—let's have lunch.

without knowledge or sense; frivolous; foolish: an empty head.

completely spent of emotion: The experience had left him with an empty heart.

verb (used with object), emp·tied, emp·ty·ing.

to make empty; deprive of contents; discharge the contents of: to empty a bucket.

to discharge (contents): to empty the water out of a bucket.

verb (used without object), emp·tied, emp·ty·ing.

to become empty: The room emptied rapidly after the lecture.

to discharge contents, as a river: The river empties into the sea.

noun, plural emp·ties.

Informal. something that is empty, as a box, bottle, or can: Throw the empties into the waste bin.

Origin of empty

before 900; Middle English (with intrusive -p-); Old English ǣmettig vacant ( ǣmett(a) leisure ( ǣ- a-³ + Germanic *mōtithō accommodation; cf. must¹, meet¹) + -ig -y¹)

SYNONYMS FOR empty

1 vacuous. Empty, vacant, blank, void denote absence of content or contents. Empty means without appropriate or accustomed contents: an empty refrigerator. Vacant is usually applied to that which is temporarily unoccupied: a vacant chair; three vacant apartments. Blank applies to surfaces free from any marks or lacking appropriate markings, openings, etc.: blank paper; a blank wall. Void emphasizes completely unfilled space with vague, unspecified, or no boundaries: void and without form.

6 delusive, vain.

12 unload, unburden.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR empty ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR empty

1 full.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR empty ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM empty

emp·ti·a·ble, adjective emp·ti·er, noun emp·ti·ly, adverb emp·ti·ness, noun

o·ver·emp·ty, adjective qua·si-emp·ty, adjective self-emp·ti·ness, noun self-emp·ty·ing, adjective un·emp·tied, adjective un·emp·ty, adjective

Words nearby empty

emprise, emprosthotonos, empson, empt, emptor, empty, empty calorie, empty calories, empty cow, empty morph, empty nest

Example sentences from the Web for empty

He defied the atheism of communism and the empty religious practices of Putinism.

Remembering the Russian Priest Who Fought the Orthodox Church |Cathy Young |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Otherwise, we will be but celebrating an empty holiday, missing its true meaning altogether.

Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It. |Gene Robinson |December 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
On Thursday, Russian bloggers published pictures of empty shelves in stores that once sold electric goods.

After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug |Anna Nemtsova |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
If they are in fact linked to North Korea, the threat may not be as empty as people think.

Kim Jong Un’s Kid Gloves Are Now Off |Gordon G. Chang |December 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The trade in empty bottles should be as eyebrow-raising as the old Soviet dud-bulb biz.

The Cult of Pappy van Winkle |Eric Felten |December 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
His stomach was empty—which he knew, and his soul was empty—which he did not know.

A Rainy June and Other Stories |Ouida
Is a man of so little value in this empty land that you would lose one?

Viking Tales |Jennie Hall
The men refused, and after a few days took possession of a train of empty cars going eastward.

Policing the Plains |R.G. MacBeth
The illustrious guide—the King of the Law—has left us; the whole world is empty and afflicted.

Buddhism, In its Connexion With Brahmanism and Hinduism, and In Its Contrast with Christianity |Sir Monier Monier-Williams
Coffee succeeded—coffee made in the empty vegetable tin, and worthy of Maxim's or the Ritz.

The Pursuit |Frank (Frank Mackenzie) Savile

British Dictionary definitions for empty

empty

/ (ˈɛmptɪ) /

adjective -tier or -tiest

containing nothing

without inhabitants; vacant or unoccupied

carrying no load, passengers, etc

without purpose, substance, or value an empty life

insincere or trivial empty words

not expressive or vital; vacant she has an empty look

informal hungry

(postpositive foll by of) devoid; destitute a life empty of happiness

informal drained of energy or emotion after the violent argument he felt very empty

maths logic (of a set or class) containing no members

philosophy logic (of a name or description) having no reference

verb -ties, -tying or -tied

to make or become empty

(when intr, foll by into) to discharge (contents)

(tr often foll by of) to unburden or rid (oneself) to empty oneself of emotion

noun plural -ties

an empty container, esp a bottle

Derived forms of empty

emptiable, adjective emptier, noun emptily, adverb emptiness, noun

Word Origin for empty

Old English ǣmtig, from æmetta free time, from æ- without + -metta, from mōtan to be obliged to; see must 1

Idioms and Phrases with empty

empty

In addition to the idioms beginning with empty

empty calories
empty nest
empty suit

also see:

glass is half full (half empty)
running on empty

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

empty

adjective, emp·ti·er, emp·ti·est.

verb (used with object), emp·tied, emp·ty·ing.

verb (used without object), emp·tied, emp·ty·ing.

noun, plural emp·ties.

Origin of empty

SYNONYMS FOR empty

ANTONYMS FOR empty

OTHER WORDS FROM empty

Words nearby empty

Example sentences from the Web for empty

British Dictionary definitions for empty

adjective -tier or -tiest

verb -ties, -tying or -tied

noun plural -ties

Derived forms of empty

Word Origin for empty

Idioms and Phrases with empty

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

empty

adjective, emp·ti·er, emp·ti·est.

verb (used with object), emp·tied, emp·ty·ing.

verb (used without object), emp·tied, emp·ty·ing.

noun, plural emp·ties.

Origin of empty

SYNONYMS FOR empty

ANTONYMS FOR empty

OTHER WORDS FROM empty

Words nearby empty

Words related to empty

Example sentences from the Web for empty

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for empty

adjective -tier or -tiest

verb -ties, -tying or -tied

noun plural -ties

Derived forms of empty

Word Origin for empty

Idioms and Phrases with empty

British Dictionary definitions for empty