# empty

/ˈɛmpti/ (US) · /ˈɛmpti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/empty
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. containing nothing

adjective · CEFR A2

having nothing inside.

For teachers: containing no people or things; devoid of contents.

- The room was completely empty except for a single wooden chair.
- The hikers found an empty cabin in the woods, providing them with much-needed shelter from the sudden downpour.

### 2. without meaning

adjective · CEFR B2

having no real value, meaning, or sincerity.

For teachers: lacking sincerity, purpose, or substance; often used to describe words or promises.

- He made many empty promises that he never intended to keep.
- The politician's speech was criticized for being full of empty rhetoric that failed to address the actual concerns of the voters.

### 3. computing/math

adjective · CEFR B2 · Technical

containing no data or items, like a list with zero things in it.

For teachers: containing no elements or members; specifically distinguished from 'null' in programming contexts.

- The program crashed because it tried to read an empty list.
- The function returns an empty array if no matching records are found in the database, rather than returning a null value.

### 4. to remove contents

verb · CEFR A2

to take everything out of a container.

For teachers: to remove the contents of a container or space completely.

- Please empty the trash can before you leave the office.
- The staff worked quickly to empty the gallery before the renovation crew arrived the following morning.

### 5. to flow into

verb · CEFR B2

when a river or pipe flows into a larger body of water.

For teachers: to discharge or flow into a larger body of water or a specific destination.

- The local river empties into the sea just a few miles from here.
- Several small streams empty into the reservoir, maintaining the water level even during the dry summer months.

### 6. used containers

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

bottles or containers that are now without their contents.

For teachers: containers, particularly glass bottles or crates, whose contents have been consumed or removed.

- We need to take the empties back to the shop for the deposit.
- The morning after the festival, the grounds were littered with glass empties and discarded food packaging.

Usage: Usually used in the plural form 'empties'.

## Examples

- The milk carton is empty so I will buy more.
- The streets were completely empty at four in the morning before the first buses started running.
- Despite the grand architecture and expensive furniture, the house felt strangely empty without the warmth of a family living inside.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.