vacant

/ˈveɪkənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈveɪkənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈvā-kənt/ (ame, mw)

vacant — 形容詞

  • vacantpositive
  • more vacantcomparative
  • most vacantsuperlative

1. describing a place such as a room, seat, building, or piece of land that has not

1.形容詞B1
釋義

空的；閒置的

未被佔用，可供使用的空間或場所

describing a place such as a room, seat, building, or piece of land that has nothing or no one inside it and is therefore ready for someone to use — for example, a vacant hotel room waiting for a guest, or a vacant lot where nothing has been built.

例句

Wei spotted a vacant seat near the window and sat down quickly.

Wei 看到窗邊有一個空的座位，很快地坐了下來。

collocation: vacant seat / vacant room

The old factory on River Road has been vacant for more than ten years.

河邊路上的那間舊工廠已經閒置了十多年。

predicative use with 'for' time expression

同義詞
  • empty

    broader term — can describe containers, spaces, or periods of time

  • unoccupied

    more formal; often used for buildings or rooms not currently lived in

  • free

    informal and temporary; used for seats or tables that no one is using right now

  • available

    focuses on readiness for use; used for seats, rooms, or resources

反義詞
  • occupied

    currently being used or lived in

  • filled

    having something or someone in it

用法筆記

Can appear before a noun (attributive: 'a vacant room') or after a linking verb (predicative: 'the room is vacant'). Opposite of 'occupied'. Not used for containers such as cups or boxes — use 'empty' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The glass on the table is vacant.
✅The glass on the table is empty.
💡'vacant' is for spaces or places that can be used, not for containers.
❌I need a vacant taxi.
✅I need an available taxi.
💡taxis are described as 'available' or 'free', not 'vacant'.

2. describing an official job or position that nobody is currently doing, so that p

2.形容詞B1
釋義

空缺的

無人擔任而可供申請的職位

describing an official job or position that nobody is currently doing, so that people can apply to take it — for example, a vacant teaching post at a school that is advertised for applicants.

例句

The vacant position of school principal was advertised in the local newspaper.

校長的空缺職位在當地報紙上刊登了徵才廣告。

attributive: vacant + position / job / post

When the manager retired, her post remained vacant for six months.

經理退休後，她的職位空缺了六個月。

同義詞
  • open

    less formal; used in 'the position is still open'

  • unfilled

    more technical; used in HR and administrative contexts

反義詞
  • filled

    now occupied by someone

  • taken

    informal; the position is no longer available

用法筆記

Only used for formal positions that are normally filled by one person. Not used for short-term or casual work. Frequently appears in job advertisements and HR contexts.

常見錯誤

❌There is a vacant role for a cleaner this weekend.
✅There is a temporary cleaning job open this weekend.
💡'vacant' is for permanent or long-term positions, not casual short-term work.
❌The seat in the meeting is vacant.' (when meaning sense 2)
✅use sense 1
💡'vacant' for a seat is physical-space sense.

3. describing a person's look, stare, or expression that shows they are not thinkin

3.形容詞B2
釋義

茫然的

眼神或表情呆滯，缺乏思考反應

describing a person's look, stare, or expression that shows they are not thinking about anything or are not paying attention to what is happening around them — for example, staring at a wall with a vacant expression, as if the mind is completely empty.

例句

Ezra sat through the lecture with a vacant stare, lost in thought.

Ezra 帶著茫然的眼神坐在課堂上，陷入沉思。

collocation: vacant stare / vacant look

The teacher noticed the vacant expression on the boy's face and asked if he understood the lesson.

老師注意到男孩臉上茫然的表情，問他是否聽懂了課程。

同義詞
  • blank

    very similar meaning; 'a blank look' is slightly more common in everyday speech

  • empty

    used metaphorically; 'an empty stare' suggests a complete lack of emotion or thought

  • glazed

    suggests the eyes are unfocused, often from tiredness or boredom

  • distant

    implies the person is thinking about something far away, not that the mind is blank

反義詞
  • alert

    attentive and mentally present

  • expressive

    showing clear emotion or thought

用法筆記

Usually appears before nouns such as 'look', 'stare', 'expression', 'smile' or with 'eyes'. Less commonly used predicatively ('her expression was vacant'). Often implies the observer finds the lack of reaction unusual or concerning.

常見錯誤

❌After the long exam, I felt vacant.
✅After the long exam, I had a vacant expression.
💡'vacant' describes the look, not how the person feels.
❌The empty room had a vacant feeling.' (mixing sense 1 and 3)
✅The room was completely empty.
💡sense 3 only applies to people's expressions, not to atmospheres or places.