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empty

Pronunciation: /ˈɛm(p)ti/
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Definition of empty

adjective (emptier, emptiest)

  • 1containing nothing; not filled or occupied:she put down her empty cup the room was empty of furniture
  • Mathematics (of a set) containing no members or elements.
  • 2(of words or a gesture) lacking meaning or sincerity: their promises were empty words
  • 3having no value or purpose:her life felt empty and meaningless

verb (empties, emptying, emptied)

[with object]
  • remove all the contents of (a container):we empty the till at closing time pockets were emptied of loose change
  • remove (the contents) from a container:he emptied out the contents of his briefcase
  • [no object] (of a place) be vacated by people in it:the pub suddenly seemed to empty
  • [no object] (empty into) (of a river) flow into (the sea or a lake): the river’s southern stream emptied into the estuary

noun (plural empties)

informal
  • a bottle or glass left empty of its contents: the barman collected the empties

Phrases

be running on empty

have exhausted all of one’s resources: he was running on empty and even the alcohol had worn off

empty vessels make most noise (or sound)

proverb those with least wisdom or knowledge are always the most talkative.

on an empty stomach

see stomach.

Derivatives

emptily

adverb

Origin:

Old English ǣmtig, ǣmetig 'at leisure, empty', from ǣmetta 'leisure', perhaps from ā 'no, not' + mōt 'meeting' (see moot)

empty in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of empty in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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