hollow
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- empty, unfilled, vacant, void
- reverberant, deep, dull, low, muted
- worthless, fruitless, futile, meaningless, pointless, useless, vain
[noun]
Synonyms:
- cavity, basin, bowl, crater, depression, hole, pit, trough
- valley, dale, dell, dingle, glen
[verb]
Synonyms:
- scoop, dig, excavate, gouge

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Contrasted words: dead, dull, flat, toneless
Related Words: echoing, resonant, resounding, reverberating, sounding

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English Thesaurus: empty, blank, bare, hollow, free, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. hol‧low¹ /ˈhɒləʊ $ ˈhɑː-/ adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: holh 'hole, hollow place']

1. EMPTY INSIDE having an empty space inside:
a hollow tree

2. hollow eyes/cheeks etc eyes etc where the skin sinks inwards:
He was short and thin, with hollow eyes.

3. SOUND a hollow sound is low and clear like the sound made when you hit something empty:
There was a hollow thump as the cars collided.

4. NO VALUE words, events, or people that are hollow have no real worth or value:
They won, but it was a hollow victory.
Even as he spoke, Ivan was well aware of the hollow ring to his words.

5. hollow laugh/voice etc a hollow laugh or voice makes a weak sound and is without emotion
—hollowly adverb:
Sam laughed hollowly.
—hollowness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. hollow² noun [countable]
a place in something that is at a slightly lower level than its surface Synonym : dip:
Make a slight hollow in the middle of each cake.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. hollow³ verb [transitive usually passive]
to make the surface of something curve inwards:
The steps were hollowed by centuries of use.
hollow something ↔ out phrasal verb
to make a hole or empty space by removing the inside part of something

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

hollow
noun
ADJ. deep | little, shallow, slight | damp, dark, grassy | sheltered | natural
PREP. in a/the ~ Snow lay in dark hollows.
~ in a hollow in the ground
~ of the hollow of her throat

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

empty used about something that has nothing inside:
an empty can of hair spray
The fridge is almost empty.
blank used about a computer screen or a piece of paper that has no writing or pictures on it, or a CD, DVD etc with nothing recorded on it:
a blank sheet of paper
He stared at the blank screen for a few minutes.
a blank tape
bare used about a room or cupboard that has very little in it:
His room was bare except for a bed and a wardrobe.
hollow used about something that has an empty space inside:
a hollow tree
The suitcase had a hollow bottom.
free used about a seat, space, or room that is available to use because no one else is using it:
Is this seat free?
There are never any parking spaces free at this time of day.
vacant used about a room or building that is available for people to pay to use:
a vacant apartment
The next guesthouse we tried had a couple of rooms vacant.
deserted used about a place that is quiet because there is no one there, or because the people who used to be there have left:
a deserted village
It was three o'clock in the morning and the streets were deserted.
uninhabited /ˌʌnɪnˈhæbətəd◂, ˌʌnɪnˈhæbɪtəd◂/ used about a place that has no people living in it, especially permanently:
an uninhabited island
unoccupied /ʌnˈɒkjəpaɪd, ʌnˈɒkjʊpaɪd $ -ˈɑːk-/ especially written used about a house, room, or office that no one is living in or using at the moment:
unoccupied buildings
Burglaries frequently happen when people are on holiday and their house is unoccupied.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

hollow
ˈhɔləu
See: beat all hollow also beat hollow

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲