hollowhol‧low1 /ˈhɒləʊ $ ˈhɑː-/ ●●○ adjective 
a hollow tree► see thesaurus at empty2hollow eyes/cheeks etc eyes etc where the skin sinks inwards: He was short and thin, with hollow eyes.3sound a hollow sound is low and clear like the sound made when you hit something empty: There was a hollow thump as the cars collided.4no value words, events, or people that are hollow have no real worth or value: They won, but it was a hollow victory. Even as he spoke, Ivan was well aware of the hollow ring to his words.5hollow laugh/voice etc a hollow laugh or voice makes a weak sound and is without emotion—hollowly adverb: Sam laughed hollowly.—hollowness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINhollow1
Origin:
Old English holh ‘hole, hollow place’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- hollow threats
- The bread should sound hollow when you tap the bottom.
- The walls are made of hollow concrete blocks.
- A well-shaped grey head leaned to peer at her out of concerned hollow eyes, whose colour she could not determine.
- After all, the only connections between the two were a metal chain and a hollow rubber tube.
- But there was something hollow about the whole experience.
- But they sounded more hollow than they had done a year earlier, and were certainly less widespread.
- How can I insulate the hollow door?
- The hollow eyes on the pillow were filling with tears.
THESAURUSwith nothing in it or on it
used about something that has nothing inside: · an empty can of hair spray· The fridge is almost empty.
used about a computer screen or a piece of paper that has no writing or pictures on it, or a CD, DVD etc with nothing recorded on it: · a blank sheet of paper· He stared at the blank screen for a few minutes.· a blank tape
used about a room or cupboard that has very little in it: · His room was bare except for a bed and a wardrobe.
used about something that has an empty space inside: · a hollow tree· The suitcase had a hollow bottom.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY They won, but it was a hollow victory. Even as he spoke, Ivan was well aware of the hollow ring to his words.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a red-cheeked plump old fellow
They won, but it was a hollow victory. Even as he spoke, Ivan was well aware of the hollow ring to his words. a red-cheeked plump old fellow (=one that will not be kept)· I didn’t make any false promises.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· Even with all this, the hollow cheeks, the scalp withered, you could still see how handsome Hugh had been.· White-faced, with a three-day-old beard, hollow cheeks and staring eyes, Sikes looked like a ghost.· Its flame showed up her hollow cheeks, the haunted eyes.
· But the famous Bongs! will have a hollow ring for millions of soccer fans anxiously waiting for news of their teams.· It resembles a hollow ring of land surrounded by scattered archipelagos.· The thought had a hollow ring to it.
· For those widowed or bereaved in other ways, victory must have had a hollow sound.· The hollow sound of the key in the lock.· The hollow sound was the beginning of the game, not the end.· The hollow sounds of doors banging and footsteps receding echoed in her ears as she stepped inside the sparsely furnished room.· But within a couple of pages, it's back to the hollow sound of random jottings.
· They left messages in a hollow tree on Seacroft estate.· A half-dozen anonymous workers scout ahead to check possible hive locations in hollow trees or wall cavities.· Bats roost naturally both in caves and hollow trees.· Those seen in the spring will have hibernated over the winter in garden sheds or hollow trees.· Whatever happened to Shurll, Jane wondered - did she go and live in a hollow tree?· Like nearly all the other forty-five species, they nest in hollow trees.· Not a single bird sings in the dry, hollow trees.
· Rear Suspension - Two transverse torsion bars are located within a hollow tube and operated by trailing arms.· The tip of this hollow tube is guided up into the internal carotid.· Filled with small seeds, the hollow tube becomes a rattle.· In fact its feathered section is a hollow tube.
· If he had been absent I would have looked upon it as something of a hollow victory.· He thought how sorry he felt for Grover, stuck with his hollow victories.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► hollow laugh/voice etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1empty inside having an empty space inside: - A well-shaped grey head leaned to peer at her out of concerned hollow eyes, whose colour she could not determine.
- Even with all this, the hollow cheeks, the scalp withered, you could still see how handsome Hugh had been.
- His hollow eyes have led you to expect something far more ruined.
- Its flame showed up her hollow cheeks, the haunted eyes.
- The hollow eyes on the pillow were filling with tears.
- White-faced, with a three-day-old beard, hollow cheeks and staring eyes, Sikes looked like a ghost.
- His assurances that things will change rang hollow.
- Apart from a bit of woodworm, the beam seemed solid enough, but the panel rang hollow.
- But its claim to have performed better than the Communist party did in 1950 rings hollow.
- But once the events began, his image rang hollow for some.
- Such events will ring hollow if they are not markers for some-thing larger and deeper that is going on in the school.
- Summerchild taps on the hardboard divisions to demonstrate their solidity and stops at once when they ring hollow.
- The Republicans put on an intimidating show, as they always intended, but it somehow rang hollow.
- Their footsteps rang hollow in the register office like a bad comic going off stage.
- These arguments ring hollow because they misunderstand the mode of responsibility in question.
a hollow tree► see thesaurus at empty2hollow eyes/cheeks etc eyes etc where the skin sinks inwards: He was short and thin, with hollow eyes.3sound a hollow sound is low and clear like the sound made when you hit something empty: There was a hollow thump as the cars collided.4no value words, events, or people that are hollow have no real worth or value: They won, but it was a hollow victory. Even as he spoke, Ivan was well aware of the hollow ring to his words.5hollow laugh/voice etc a hollow laugh or voice makes a weak sound and is without emotion—hollowly adverb: Sam laughed hollowly.—hollowness noun [uncountable]