adjective / verb / noun
empty
EMP-tee/ˈempti/
Containing nothing inside.
The open cardboard box is empty, with nothing inside.
Etymology
The Old English adjective was connected with æmetta, “leisure.” Being unoccupied could describe people free from duties as well as places without occupants or containers with nothing inside.
In context
The treasury is empty. There's simply no money to support another war.
More examples
- Please empty the bucket before you put it away.
- We return the empties to the store for a refund.
- The gas tank is almost empty.
Forms
empty · empties · emptied · emptying · emptier · emptiest
emptiness noun — The state of having nothing inside.
Similar words
- vacant
- Usually describes spaces without occupants rather than containers without contents.
- unfilled
- Means not filled, though some contents may already be present.