void
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a large, empty space or a feeling of great sadness because something is missing.
n.an empty space or vacuum; figuratively, a feeling of significant loss or emptiness following a departure or death.
Simple“After her best friend moved away, she felt a huge void in her life.”
In context“The sudden resignation of the CEO left a power void that several ambitious executives immediately attempted to fill.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a funny way to describe a black cat because they look like a dark shape with eyes.
n.a humorous, internet-slang term for a black cat, referencing its visual similarity to a dark, featureless silhouette.
Simple“I couldn't see my cat in the dark room until the little void opened his eyes.”
In context“The subreddit is dedicated entirely to photos of 'voids'—black cats that blend so perfectly into shadows that only their glowing eyes are visible.”
Synonymsblack cat - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a very large area in space that contains almost no stars or galaxies.
n.a vast region of space containing few or no galaxies, situated between filaments of the cosmic web.
Simple“Astronomers are studying a massive void that seems to be empty of galaxies.”
In context“The Boötes void is one of the largest known celestial gaps, challenging current models of how the universe distributed matter after the Big Bang.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having no legal power; not official or binding.
adj.having no legal force or binding effect; null and incapable of being enforced.
Simple“The contract became void because it was never signed by the manager.”
In context“The judge ruled the agreement null and void, citing the fact that one party had signed under significant duress.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
adj.completely without something, especially a good quality.
adj.entirely lacking or free from something; typically used with the preposition 'of'.
Simple“The desert landscape was beautiful but void of any signs of water.”
In context“His face remained void of emotion even as the jury read the guilty verdict aloud to the silent courtroom.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
adj.used in computer code to show that a function does not send back any data.
adj.denoting a function or method that does not return a value to its caller.
Simple“The programmer defined the function as void because it only prints text to the screen.”
In context“In C++, the void keyword is used to specify that a function performs an action but does not return a result to the calling routine.”
- 07 C1 Advanced
v.to make something invalid or to empty out waste from the body.
v.to nullify a legal document; also used in medical contexts to mean the discharge of waste, such as urine.
Simple“The bank had to void the check because the amount was written incorrectly.”
In context“The patient was asked to void into a sterile container so the laboratory could perform a full urinalysis.”
UsageIn a medical context, it is often used as an intransitive verb meaning to urinate.
“As the Saudi Pro League, which flooded the game with billions in cash when it lured Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in 2023, scales back its ambitions, the Turkish league has stepped into the void.”
“That financial void has been felt by a number of American cities and states, who have urged Canadians to return through targeted advertisements and special deals.”
From Middle English voide, voyde, from Old French vuit, voide, vuide (modern vide), in turn from Vulgar Latin *vocitum, ultimately from Latin vacuus.
Alteration of voidee.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.