empty

1 of 3

adjective

emp·ty ˈem(p)-tē

emptier; emptiest

: containing nothing

empty shelves

: not occupied or inhabited

an empty building

: unfrequented

: not pregnant

empty heifer

: null sense 4a

the empty set

: lacking reality, substance, meaning, or value : hollow

an empty pleasure

: destitute of effect or force

an empty threat

: devoid of sense : foolish

: hungry

: idle

empty hours

: having no purpose or result : useless

: marked by the absence of human life, activity, or comfort

an empty silence

emptily

ˈem(p)-tə-lē

adverb

emptiness

ˈem(p)-tē-nəs

noun

empty

2 of 3

verb

emptied; emptying

transitive verb

: to make empty : remove the contents of

empty a purse

: deprive, divest

a phrase emptied of all meaning

: to discharge (itself) of contents

: to fire (a repeating firearm) until empty

: to remove from what holds or encloses

intransitive verb

: to become empty

the theater emptied quickly

: to discharge contents

the river empties into the ocean

empty

3 of 3

noun

plural empties

: something (such as a bottle or can) that is empty

Choose the Right Synonym for empty

empty, vacant, blank, void, vacuous mean lacking contents which could or should be present.

empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

synonyms see in addition vain

Example Sentences

Adjective The arena was completely empty. She felt trapped in an empty marriage. unhappy people leading empty lives Verb She emptied the contents of her purse onto the table. It's your turn to empty the trash.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Even in a mostly empty stadium, the band sounded powerful, lucid, heavy.

Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2022 Well, here’s the skinny: the space was never going to be empty for long.

Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Nov. 2022 Tables are waiting, more than 50, surrounded by chairs that were empty just a few minutes ago and now are full of people of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds.

The Indianapolis Star, 24 Nov. 2022 But much of the site, which doesn’t have a mortgage, has been sitting empty ever since.

Konrad Putzier, WSJ, 22 Nov. 2022 In front of a half-empty Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama gained 527 yards offensively but also committed three turnovers as its starters remained in the game into the fourth quarter.

Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, 19 Nov. 2022 The Eagles are 7-0 and will playing at a nearly-empty NRG Stadium in Houston.

Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 1 Nov. 2022 In the photo, Weber lifts Flanagan into his arms in a near-empty Yankees Stadium.

Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 15 Oct. 2022 Over the weekend, during the Dodgers’ intrasquad games inside an empty Dodger Stadium, the mystery voice on the mound could be heard from the dugouts.

Staff Writer Follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2022

Verb

The vacuum cleaner is equipped with a 0.68-quart dust cup too, giving you plenty of time to clean before having to empty it.

Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2022 When not in use (or when carrying the ashtray to another room to empty it), a thin slab of walnut wood fits neatly into place over top.

Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2022 To empty it, simply remove the tank, lift the plug to unseal the top, and pour out the water into a sink or drain.

Adria Greenhauff, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2022 Once a container of honey reaches its 100-gallon capacity, beekeepers get an alert to empty it.

Shoshanna Solomon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2022 The Tide will likely empty its bench next Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium against Austin Peay, then finish its regular season in the same building against Auburn.

Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, 12 Nov. 2022 If that doesn’t work, empty the bowl by plunging or by pouring in around one-and-a-half gallons of water — either method will simulate a flush while preventing the bowl from refilling.

Susannah Herrada, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2022 When the vacuum is full, remove the dust cap to quickly empty debris and get back to work.

Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2022 My father agrees to empty the house and skip the cleaning.

Longreads, 20 Apr. 2022

Noun

The change resulted from an intersection of migration with births and deaths, since the county draws retirees and empty-nesters, while young adults who want to have children move elsewhere, mostly for better schools, Smith said.

Arkansas Online, 6 June 2022 Kevin Shattenkirk and Vinni Lettieri had a goal and an assist apiece, and Nicolas Deslauriers added a short-handed empty-netter for the Ducks with 7:37 to play.

orlandosentinel.com, 22 Jan. 2022 The entire region is a buyer’s market, burdened by other big empties.

At A Great Price, ProPublica, 18 May 2020 The horses are saddled in the paddock in two shifts, and at least one stall is kept empty between horses.

Joe Drape, New York Times, 12 May 2020 Coronavirus empties pediatrician offices in Michigan, decreases vaccinations As COVID-19 continues to churn through southeast Michigan and elsewhere, wary parents are avoiding health care settings.

Amy Huschka, Detroit Free Press, 28 Apr. 2020 More than Christmas or New Year’s Day, more than Easter week, when the city empties out.

Sylvia Poggioli, The New York Review of Books, 29 Mar. 2020 Heiskanen’s goal came with the Stars’ net empty and was his first since Dec. 3, a stretch of 33 games.

Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, 28 Feb. 2020 Days, even weeks, in a tent or a bivouac, the hours empty of all but numbing chores and the howling of the wind.

Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'empty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English ǣmettig unoccupied, from ǣmetta leisure, perhaps from ǣ- without + -metta (probably akin to mōtan to have to) — more at must

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of empty was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century