Join Us On

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

Medical

Scrabble^®

Spanish Central

Browse Dictionary Browse Thesaurus

Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android

Dictionary

¹empty

adjective emp·ty \ˈem(p)-tē\

: containing nothing

: not having any people : not occupied

: having no real purpose or value

emp·ti·eremp·ti·est

Full Definition of EMPTY

a : containing nothing <empty shelves>

b : not occupied or inhabited <an empty building>

c : unfrequented

d : not pregnant <empty heifer>

e : null 4a <the empty set>

a : lacking reality, substance, meaning, or value : hollow <an empty pleasure>

b : destitute of effect or force <an empty threat>

c : devoid of sense : foolish

: hungry

a : idle <empty hours>

b : having no purpose or result : useless

: marked by the absence of human life, activity, or comfort <an empty silence>

— emp·ti·ly \-tə-lē\ adverb

— emp·ti·ness \-tē-nəs\ noun

See empty defined for English-language learners

See empty defined for kids

Origin of EMPTY

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: before 12th century

Related to EMPTY

Synonyms: bare, blank, clean, devoid, stark, toom [chiefly Scottish], vacant, vacuous, void

Antonyms: full

Synonym Discussion of 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

²empty

verb

: to remove the contents of (something) : to make (something) empty

: to remove all of (something) from a container

: to become empty

emp·tiedemp·ty·ing

Full Definition of EMPTY

transitive verb

a : to make empty : remove the contents of <empty a purse>

b : deprive, divest <a phrase emptied of all meaning>

c : to discharge (itself) of contents

d : 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>

See empty defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of EMPTY

1548

Related to EMPTY

Synonyms: clear, evacuate, vacate, void

Antonyms: fill, load

³empty

noun

: an empty bottle or can

plural emp·ties

Full Definition of EMPTY

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

See empty defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of EMPTY

1865

EMPTIED Defined for Kids

¹empty

adjective emp·ty \ˈemp-tē\

emp·ti·eremp·ti·est

Definition of EMPTY for Kids

: containing nothing <an empty box>

: not occupied or lived in : vacant <an empty house> <an empty seat>

: not sincere or meaningful <an empty threat>

— emp·ti·ness noun <the emptiness of outer space>

Synonym Discussion of EMPTY

empty and vacant both mean not having anything inside. empty is used for a thing that has nothing in it at all. <He threw away the empty bag.> It may also be used instead of vacant. <The house sat empty until a new family moved in.> vacant is the opposite of occupied and is used of something that is not occupied usually only for a while. <That apartment is vacant right now.>