EMPTY Synonyms: 314 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

empty 1 of 2

adjective

ˈem(p)-tē

Definition of empty

as in devoid

lacking contents that could or should be present the refrigerator is empty, so we'll have to eat out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hungry

feeling a desire or need for food as the long car trip wore on, we all started to feel a little empty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in meaningless

having no meaning spare me your empty apologies because if you were truly sorry, you'd change

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in worthless

having no usefulness an empty task that was assigned just to keep us busy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unsuccessful

producing no results all of the leads in the missing-person case were turning up empty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in blank

not expressing any emotion the speaker looked out at a crowd of empty faces

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

empty

2 of 2

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

fill
load

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

Many a time while working in the field, Walker and her team saw their target species frolicking above their heads, yet their nets remained frustratingly empty at the end of the night. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The filming site was an empty office building in Fremont, California, and the explosion was real; pyrotechnician Tom Fisher used hundreds of gallons of gas to create that giant fireball. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

Lake Powell has reached record low water levels in recent days, and along with Lake Mead has been emptying amid severe drought in the West. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 Shelves of bottled water emptied quickly as lengthened blackouts disrupted factory operations. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for empty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty

Adjective

In a show mostly devoid of explicit messages, the sentiment surprised me.

— Max Norman, New Yorker, 25 June 2026
Players take on the role of a Ditto capable of mimicking its human trainer, and the Pokémon is thrown into a world devoid of humans.

— Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Definition of devoid

Adjective

Inter Miami is hungry to get back on track after the recent slump.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
The continent's sweltering summer has meanwhile boosted demand for air conditioning and other energy-hungry appliances at a time when demand for gas, widely used for Europe's heating and cooking needs, naturally falls.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of hungry

Adjective

Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.

— Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
In my line of work, game columns don’t get more meaningless than that.

— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of meaningless

Adjective

The referee’s visual countdown may prove worthless if the player trotting off has his back to the official, which will invariably be the case.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
And since Jace’s death, she’s treated Baela as nothing more than a defective surveillance drone — a worthless piece of tech that never spots Vhagar.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of worthless

Adjective

That ability to learn may ultimately separate successful defenders from unsuccessful ones.

— Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The five unsuccessful trials shared a condition of the test rig rather than indicating a failure of the recovery logic.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsuccessful

Adjective

Seko is advising shippers to build seven- to 10-day-plus buffers into east China bookings and prepare for potential port omissions, blank sailings and cargo diversions to alternative gateways including Qingdao, Busan and Hong Kong.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
The familiar last name and near-blank political slate pulled him in.

— Saige Miller, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of blank

Adjective

Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Swansea City and Birmingham City, all now Championship clubs, have won silverware during Everton’s three barren decades.

— Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of barren

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“Empty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of empty

adjective

verb

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Phrases Containing empty

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More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

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