empty
/ˈempti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈempti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈem(p)-tē/ (ame, mw) · /ˈemp.ti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈemp.ti/ (ame, ipa)
empty — adjective
- emptypositive
- emptiercomparative
- emptiestsuperlative
1. having nothing at all inside — for example, a room with no furniture, a pocket w
having nothing at all inside — for example, a room with no furniture, a pocket with nothing in it, or a container that has had all its contents removed.
The kitchen cupboard was completely empty, so we had to go shopping.
collocation: completely empty
Adisa opened his wallet and saw that it was completely empty.
After the fire drill, the entire school building stood empty for almost an hour.
Takeshi noticed an empty seat by the window and sat down.
The old house has been empty ever since the owner moved to Japan.
常見錯誤
2. describes words, promises, or actions that seem to say something but lack real f
describes words, promises, or actions that seem to say something but lack real feeling, truth, or effect — for example, a promise the speaker never intends to keep, or a threat with no real force behind it.
The politician's promises sounded empty to voters who had heard them before.
collocation: empty promise
After the argument, Shirin's apology felt empty and insincere to everyone present.
structure: feel empty + adjective
Élise knew the boss's threat was empty — he would never actually fire anyone.
The company's talk about environmental care rang hollow and empty to critics.
His speech was full of empty phrases that impressed nobody in the audience.
- hollow
stronger emotional tone, suggesting something is not just insincere but also deceptive
- meaningless
focuses on the lack of value or significance rather than sincerity
- insincere
more direct about the intent to deceive
- sincere
the direct opposite — genuine and from the heart
- meaningful
full of real significance or purpose
- genuine
truly felt or intended
用法筆記
Commonly paired with nouns like promise, threat, words, gesture, or phrases. Not used for physical objects or spaces.
常見錯誤
3. feeling that life, time, or daily activities have no meaning, value, or goal — o
feeling that life, time, or daily activities have no meaning, value, or goal — often after a sad or disappointing event such as a loss or a major change.
After losing his job at the factory, Vikram felt empty and purposeless for months.
collocation: feel empty and purposeless
Liam's days felt empty after his best friend moved to another country.
Linh stared at the wall, feeling empty inside after the funeral.
The divorce left Mauricio feeling empty, as if the best years of his life had passed.
- hollow
more visceral, suggesting a painful void inside
- purposeless
focuses specifically on lack of direction or goal
- meaningless
emphasises that nothing seems to matter
- fulfilled
feeling satisfied and complete
- purposeful
having a clear sense of direction and meaning
用法筆記
Typically describes a person's emotional state or a period of time in their life. The subject is usually a person (I feel empty) or a period (my days felt empty). Not used for physical objects.
常見錯誤
empty — verb
- emptypresent simple I / you / we / they
- empties3rd person singular
- emptying-ing form
- emptiedpast simple
1. to take out everything that is inside a container, room, or other space, so that
to take out everything that is inside a container, room, or other space, so that nothing remains — for example, emptying a cupboard by removing all its contents, or emptying a bottle by pouring out its liquid.
Rachel emptied the dishwasher and put the clean plates away.
transitive: empty + object (dishwasher)
The police asked everyone to empty their pockets onto the table.
pattern: empty + object + onto + surface
Christopher emptied the old water from the vase before adding fresh flowers.
Ingrid emptied her suitcase onto the bed and began unpacking her clothes.
The movers emptied the entire apartment in less than three hours.
文法句型
empty + noun (transitive)
empty + noun + out of/from + noun
empty + noun + into + noun
empty out + noun
用法筆記
Often used with the particle 'out' as a phrasal-verb-like structure (empty out the trash). For rooms or buildings, it implies removing all people or furniture.
常見錯誤
2. to gradually lose all the people or things inside a space or container, until no
to gradually lose all the people or things inside a space or container, until nothing remains — for example, a room becomes empty as people leave, or a street becomes empty as traffic dies down.
The movie theater emptied quickly after the final scene ended.
intransitive: subject empties + adverb of manner
The streets emptied as the storm warnings began to spread across the city.
pattern: empty as/because + clause
The classroom emptied when the fire alarm started ringing loudly.
The stadium emptied within fifteen minutes after the final whistle blew.
The restaurant emptied around midnight when the kitchen closed.
文法句型
empty + adverb/preposition
empty + time phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with a time or manner adverb (emptied quickly, emptied within an hour). The subject is always a place or container — never a person.
常見錯誤
empty — noun
- emptysingular
- emptiesplural
1. a bottle, can, or other container whose contents have all been used up, leaving
a bottle, can, or other container whose contents have all been used up, leaving nothing inside — typically used when talking about recycling or returning containers for a deposit.
Ilan collected all the empties from the party and took them to the recycling bin.
plural form: empties + recycling context
The bartender collected all the empties from the counter after last call.
A neighbor stacked the empties in the garage until recycling day.
The café had a large crate full of empties waiting for collection.
Workers loaded crates of empties onto the truck for the glass factory.
- empty bottle
more explicit; used when the type of container matters
- empty can
specifically for metal or aluminium drink containers
文法句型
plural: empties
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, this noun is most common in the plural form (empties). The singular (an empty) is possible but much less frequent. Often appears in contexts involving recycling, bar work, or returning deposit bottles.