ENGLISH
REFERENCE

empty

n.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈɛmpti// UK //ˈɛmpti// emp·ty Archaic General-service

n. containing nothing inside. You use this to describe a container, a room, or a space that has no people or things in it.

n. containing nothing; devoid of contents or occupants. Often used figuratively to describe a lack of meaning or substance.


SIMPLE

The milk carton is empty so I will buy more.

CONTEXTUAL

The streets were completely empty at four in the morning before the first buses started running.

COMPLEX

Despite the grand architecture and expensive furniture, the house felt strangely empty without the warmth of a family living inside.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English emty, amty, from Old English ǣmtiġ, ǣmettiġ (“vacant, empty, free, idle, unmarried”, literally “without must or obligation, leisurely”), from Proto-Germanic uz- (“out”) + Proto-Germanic mōtijô, mōtô (“must, obligation, need”), mōtiþô (“ability, accommodation”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“measure; to acquire, possess, be in command”). Related to Old English ġeǣmtigian (“to empty”), ǣmetta (“leisure”), mōtan (“can, to be allowed”). More at mote, meet. The interconsonantal excrescent p is a euphonic insertion dating from Middle English.

Usage

Commonly functions as an attributive or predicative adjective; can also be used as a transitive verb meaning to remove all contents.

Pitfall

The room was empty from people.The room was empty of people.When specifying what is missing, use the preposition 'of' rather than 'from'.

Idioms5 entries

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