containing nothing; having none of the usual or appropriate contents:an empty bottle.
vacant; unoccupied:an empty house.
without cargo or load:an empty wagon.
destitute of people or human activity:We walked along the empty streets of the city at night.
destitute of some quality or qualities; devoid (usually fol. by of ):Theirs is a life now empty of happiness.
without force, effect, or significance; hollow; meaningless:empty compliments; empty pleasures.
not employed in useful activity or work; idle:empty summer days.
Mathematics(of a set) containing no elements; null; void.
hungry:I'm feeling rather empty —let's have lunch.
without knowledge or sense; frivolous; foolish:an empty head.
completely spent of emotion:The experience had left him with an empty heart.
v.t.
to make empty; deprive of contents; discharge the contents of:to empty a bucket.
to discharge (contents):to empty the water out of a bucket.
v.i.
to become empty:The room emptied rapidly after the lecture.
to discharge contents, as a river:The river empties into the sea.
n.
Informal Termssomething that is empty, as a box, bottle, or can:Throw the empties into the waste bin.
bef. 900; Middle English (with intrusive -p-); Old English ǣmettig vacant (ǣmett(a) leisure (ǣ-a-3 + Gmc *mōtithō accommodation; compare must1, meet1) + -ig -y1)
emp′ti•a•ble, adj. emp′ti•er, n. emp′ti•ly, adv. emp′ti•ness, n.
1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged vacuous. Empty,vacant,blank,void denote absence of content or contents. Empty means without appropriate or accustomed contents:an empty refrigerator.Vacant is usually applied to that which is temporarily unoccupied:a vacant chair; three vacant apartments.Blank applies to surfaces free from any marks or lacking appropriate markings, openings, etc.:blank paper; a blank wall.Void emphasizes completely unfilled space with vague, unspecified, or no boundaries:void and without form.
6.See corresponding entry in Unabridged delusive, vain.
12.See corresponding entry in Unabridged unload, unburden.
without purpose, substance, or value: an empty life
insincere or trivial: empty words
not expressive or vital; vacant: she has an empty look
hungry
(postpositive) followed byof: devoid; destitute: a life empty of happiness
drained of energy or emotion: after the violent argument he felt very empty
(of a set or class) containing no members
(-ties, -tying, -tied)
to make or become empty
whenintr, followed by into: to discharge (contents)
(transitive) often followed byof: to unburden or rid (oneself): to empty oneself of emotion
(-ties)
an empty container, esp a bottle
Etymology: Old English ǣmtig, from æmetta free time, from æ- without + -metta, from mōtan to be obliged to; see must1ˈemptiableˈemptierˈemptilyˈemptiness
'empty out' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):