Word forms: comparative emptier, superlative emptiest, plural, 3rd person singular presenttense empties, present participle emptying, past tense, past participle emptied
1. adjective
An empty place, vehicle, or container is one that has no people or things in it.
The room was bare and empty.
...empty cans of lager.
The roads were nearly empty of traffic. [+ of]
Synonyms: bare, clear, abandoned, deserted More Synonyms of empty
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
An empty gesture, threat, or relationship has no real value or meaning.
His father threatened to throw him out, but he knew it was an empty threat.
...to ensure the event is not perceived as an empty gesture.
Synonyms: meaningless, cheap, hollow, vain More Synonyms of empty
3. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you describe a person's life or a period of time as empty, you mean that nothing interesting or valuable happens in it.
My life was very hectic but empty before I met him.
Synonyms: worthless, meaningless, hollow, pointless More Synonyms of empty
4. adjective
If you feel empty, you feel unhappy and have no energy, usually because you are very tired or have just experienced something upsetting.
I felt empty and hollow; defeated.
I feel so empty, my life just doesn't seem worth living any more.
5. verb
If you empty a container, or empty something out of it, you remove its contents, especially by tipping it up.
I emptied the wastepaper basket. [VERB noun]
Empty the noodles and liquid into a serving bowl. [VERB noun preposition]
He emptied the contents out into the palm of his hand. [V n with out]
Synonyms: clear, drain, gut, void More Synonyms of empty
6. verb
If someone empties a room or place, or if it empties, everyone that is in it goes away.
The stadium emptied at the end of the first day of athletics. [VERB]
...a woman who could empty a pub full of drunks just by lifting one fist. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: evacuate, clear, vacate, MT [text messaging] More Synonyms of empty
7. verb
A river or canal that empties into a lake, river, or sea flows into it.
The Washougal empties into the Columbia River near Portland. [VERB + into]
8. countable noun [usually plural]
Empties are bottles or containers which no longer have anything in them.
More Synonyms of empty
empty in British English
(ˈɛmptɪ)
adjectiveWord forms: -tier or -tiest
1.
containing nothing
2.
without inhabitants; vacant or unoccupied
3.
carrying no load, passengers, etc
4.
without purpose, substance, or value
an empty life
5.
insincere or trivial
empty words
6.
not expressive or vital; vacant
she has an empty look
7. informal
hungry
8. (postpositive; foll byof)
devoid; destitute
a life empty of happiness
9. informal
drained of energy or emotion
after the violent argument he felt very empty
10. mathematics, logic
(of a set or class) containing no members
11. philosophy, logic
(of a name or description) having no reference
verbWord forms: -ties, -tying or -tied
12.
to make or become empty
13. (whenintr, foll by into)
to discharge (contents)
14. (transitive; often foll byof)
to unburden or rid (oneself)
to empty oneself of emotion
nounWord forms: plural-ties
15.
an empty container, esp a bottle
Derived forms
emptiable (ˈemptiable)
adjective
emptier (ˈemptier)
noun
emptily (ˈemptily)
adverb
emptiness (ˈemptiness)
noun
Word origin
Old English ǣmtig, from æmetta free time, from æ- without + -metta, from mōtan to be obliged to; see must1
empty in American English
(ˈɛmpti)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈemptier or ˈemptiest
1.
containing nothing; having nothing in it
2.
having no one in it; unoccupied; vacant
an empty house
3.
carrying or bearing nothing; bare
4.
having no worth or purpose; useless or unsatisfying
empty pleasure
5.
without meaning or force; insincere; vain
empty promises
6. Informal
hungry
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈemptied or ˈemptying
7.
to make empty
8.
a.
to pour out or remove (the contents) of something
b.
to transfer (the contents) into, onto, or on something else
9.
to unburden or discharge (oneself or itself)
verb intransitive
10.
to become empty
11.
to pour out; discharge
the river empties into the sea
nounWord forms: pluralˈempties
12.
an empty freight car, truck, bottle, etc.
SIMILAR WORDS: vain
Idioms:
empty of
run on empty
SYNONYMY NOTE: empty means having nothing in it [an empty box, street, stomach, etc.]; vacant means lacking that which appropriately or customarily occupies or fills it [a vacant apartment, position, etc.]; void, as discriminated here, specifically stresses complete or vast emptiness [void of judgment]; vacuous, now rare in its physical sense, suggests the emptiness of a vacuum
OPPOSITE: full
Derived forms
emptily (ˈemptily)
adverb
emptiness (ˈemptiness)
noun
Word origin
ME emti & (with intrusive -p-) empti < OE æmettig, unoccupied, lit., at leisure < æmetta, leisure (< æ-, without + base of motan, to have to: see must1) + -ig, -y2
More idioms containing
empty
run on empty
empty vessels make the most sound
Examples of 'empty' in a sentence
empty
Some of the rooms were almost empty by midnight.
The Sun (2016)
You just empty it into a bowl and put it in the microwave.
The Sun (2016)
They always seem empty and most people just seem to use the cash machine.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The old house is left empty for much of the time.
The Sun (2017)
And for the empty space they leave behind.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Empty seats meant there was more atmosphere on the moon.
The Sun (2016)
The threat does not appear to have been an empty one.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Other than that, the place felt empty.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Neither I nor my people will be affected by these empty threats.
The Sun (2016)
The thing he had about empty seating is just as sad.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This is a speech devoid of people and empty of metaphor.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They feel empty so they want the thrill of hooking up again.
The Sun (2016)
The house is an empty dwelling without your presence.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
What we usually see is rows of empty seats.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Better an empty sea than a lost election!
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
We had hundreds of empty homes in the historic centre.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We stood together in a vast empty space.
Goshgarian, Gary Exploring language (6th edn) (1995)
This was his first big quest after being appointed and he came away empty handed.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You have to see if the glass is half full or half empty.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But the cashier flicked a switch bringing down a security screen and he fled empty handed.
The Sun (2006)
The roads then would be nearly empty.
The Sun (2006)
We are the ones who end up empty.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Ours was the only house totally destroyed and it was the only one which was empty.
The Sun (2008)
We slept there for four days in an empty school.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
One hour is a long time to be lighting up an empty room.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Such firms supplied servants and looked after empty properties.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
One of the staff brings a new pack to the table and empties his ashtray.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Detective work cannot take place on an empty stomach.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Will the pilot be able to get a cork out of an empty wine bottle?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Now it feels empty and hollow.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The empty self is passive.
Christianity Today (2000)
We accuse him of forcing us to be alone, to try and get by in a world that we fi nd empty of meaning.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
empty
British English: empty /ˈɛmptɪ/ ADJECTIVE
An empty place, vehicle, or container has no people or things in it.
The room was bare and empty.
American English: empty
Arabic: خالٍ
Brazilian Portuguese: vazio
Chinese: 空的
Croatian: prazan
Czech: prázdný
Danish: tom
Dutch: leeg
European Spanish: vacío
Finnish: tyhjä
French: vide
German: leer
Greek: άδειος
Italian: vuoto
Japanese: 空の
Korean: 빈
Norwegian: tom
Polish: pusty
European Portuguese: vazio
Romanian: gol
Russian: пустой
Latin American Spanish: vacío falto de contenido físico o mental
Swedish: tom
Thai: ว่างเปล่า
Turkish: boş mekan
Ukrainian: порожній
Vietnamese: trống rỗng
British English: empty /ˈɛmptɪ/ VERB
If you empty a container, or if you empty something out of it, you remove its contents.
Empty the noodles into a bowl.
American English: empty
Arabic: يُفْرِغُ
Brazilian Portuguese: esvaziar
Chinese: 倒空
Croatian: isprazniti
Czech: vyprázdnit
Danish: tømme
Dutch: legen
European Spanish: vaciar
Finnish: tyhjentää
French: vider
German: entleeren
Greek: αδειάζω
Italian: svuotare
Japanese: 空にする
Korean: (든 것을) 비우다
Norwegian: tømme
Polish: opróżnić
European Portuguese: esvaziar
Romanian: a goli
Russian: опорожнять
Latin American Spanish: vaciar
Swedish: tömma
Thai: ทำให้ว่างเปล่า
Turkish: boşaltmak
Ukrainian: спорожняти
Vietnamese: dốc ra
British English: empty NOUN
Empties are bottles or containers which no longer have anything in them.
After breakfast we'll take the empties down in the sack.
American English: empty
Brazilian Portuguese: vazio
Chinese: 空容器
European Spanish: envase
French: bouteille vide
German: Leergut
Italian: vuoto
Japanese: 空にした入れ物
Korean: 빈 병
European Portuguese: vazio
Latin American Spanish: envase
All related terms of 'empty'
empty bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep .
empty cow
a cow that does not produce calves during the breeding season
empty of
lacking; without; devoid of
empty beach
A beach is an area of sand or stones beside the sea.
empty-chair
to draw attention to the absence of (an invited participant in a debate or another event), esp by leaving an unoccupied place for them
empty road
A road is a long piece of hard ground which is built between two places so that people can drive or ride easily from one place to the other.
empty shop
A shop is a building or part of a building where things are sold.
half-empty
(of a vessel, place, etc) holding or containing half its capacity
empty calorie
a calorie whose source has little or no nutritional value
empty gesture
A gesture is something that you say or do in order to express your attitude or intentions , often something that you know will not have much effect.
empty-handed
If you come away from somewhere empty-handed , you have failed to get what you wanted .
empty-headed
If you describe someone as empty-headed , you mean that they are not very intelligent and often do silly things.
empty-nester
a married person whose children have grown up and left home
Empty Quarter
a desert in S Arabia , mainly in Saudi Arabia, extending southeast from Nejd to Hadramaut and northeast from Yemen to the United Arab Emirates . Area: about 777 000 sq km (300 000 sq miles)
empty stadium
A stadium is a large sports ground with rows of seats all round it.
empty street
A street is a road in a city, town, or village , usually with houses along it.
empty calories
calories that are present in foods that have very little nutritive value: e. g . in alcohol or refined sugar
empty promises
A promise is a statement which you make to a person in which you say that you will definitely do something or give them something.
run on empty
to no longer be as exciting or successful as you once were because you have run out of new ideas or resources
empty-nest syndrome
a condition, often involving depression , loneliness, etc, experienced by parents living in a home from which the children have grown up and left
empty the wastebasket
If you empty the wastebasket , you remove its contents and put them in the trash .
on an empty stomach
If you do something on an empty stomach , you do it without having eaten .
empty vessels make the most sound
said to mean that people who talk a lot about their knowledge, talent or experience are often not as knowledgeable , talented or experienced as they claim to be