SG Heritage Dictionary

Word of the Day: Catachrestical

Empty [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. Containing nothing, or nothing but air; as an empty chest; empty space; an empty purse is a serious evil.

2. Evacuated; not filled; as empty shackles.

3. Unfurnished; as an empty room.

4. Void; devoid.

5. In civility thou seemest so empty

6. Void; destitute of solid matter; as empty air.

7. Destitute of force or effect; as empty words.

8. Unsubstantial; unsatisfactory; not able to fill the mind or the desires. The pleasures of life are empty and unsatisfying.

9. Pleased with empty praise.

10. Not supplied; having nothing to carry.

11. They beat him, and sent him away empty Mark 12:3 .

12. Hungry.

13. My falcon now is sharp and passing empty

14. Unfurnished with intellect or knowledge; vacant of head; ignorant; as an empty coxcomb.

15. Unfruitful; producing nothing.

16. Israel is an empty vine. Hosca 10.

17. Seven empty ears blasted with the east wind. Genesis 41:27 .

18. Wanting substance; wanting solidity; as empty dreams.

19. Destitute; waste; desolate.

20. Nineveh is empty Nahum 2.

21. Without effect.

22. The sword of Saul returned not empty 2 Samuel 1:22 .

23. Without a cargo; in ballast; as, the ship returned empty

Empty [Verb intransitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To pour out or discharge its contents.

2. The Connecticut empties into the Sound.

3. To become empty

Empty [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To exhaust; to make void or destitute; to deprive of the contents; as, to empty a vessel; to empty a well or a cistern.

2. To pour out the contents.

3. The clouds empty themselves on the earth. Ecclesiastes 11:3 .

4. Rivers empty themselves into the ocean.

5. To waste; to make desolate. Jeremiah 51:2 .

Empty [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

An empty box, crate, cask, etc.; -- used in commerce, esp. in transportation of freight; as, "special rates for empties."

Empty [Superlative] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. Containing nothing; not holding or having anything within; void of contents or appropriate contents; not filled; -- said of an inclosure, as a box, room, house, etc.; as, an empty chest, room, purse, or pitcher; an empty stomach; empty shackles.

2. Free; clear; devoid; -- often with of.

3. Having nothing to carry; unburdened.

4. Destitute of effect, sincerity, or sense; -- said of language; as, empty words, or threats.

5. Unable to satisfy; unsatisfactory; hollow; vain; -- said of pleasure, the world, etc.

6. Producing nothing; unfruitful; -- said of a plant or tree; as, an empty vine.

7. Destitute of, or lacking, sense, knowledge, or courtesy; as, empty brains; an empty coxcomb.

8. Destitute of reality, or real existence; unsubstantial; as, empty dreams.

Empty [Verb intransitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. To discharge itself; as, a river empties into the ocean.

2. To become empty.

Empty [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

To deprive of the contents; to exhaust; to make void or destitute; to make vacant; to pour out; to discharge; as, to empty a vessel; to empty a well or a cistern.

Emptying [Participle present tense] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Pouring out the contents; making void.

Emptying [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. The act of making empty.

2. The lees of beer, cider, etc.; yeast.

Emptying [Present participle and verbal noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Empty

Emptyings [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

The lees of beer, cider, etc.

Unsubstantiality Roget’s Thesaurus §4

N. unsubstantiality, insubstantiality, nothingness, nihility, no degree, no part, no quantity, no thing, nothing, naught, nil, nullity, zero, cipher, no one, nobody, never a one, ne'er a one, no such thing, none in the world, nothing whatever, nothing at all, nothing on earth, not a particle, all talk, moonshine, stuff and nonsense, matter of no importance, matter of no consequence, thing of naught, man of straw, john doe and richard roe, faggot voter, nominis umbra, nonentity, flash in the pan, vox et praeterea nihil, shadow, phantom, dream, ignis fatuus, "such stuff as dreams are made of", air, thin air, vapor, bubble, "baseless fabric of a vision", mockery, hollowness, blank, void, inanity, fool's paradise

V. vanish, evaporate, fade, dissolve, melt away, disappear

Adj. unsubstantial, baseless, groundless, ungrounded, without foundation, having no foundation, visionary, immaterial, spectral, dreamy, shadowy, ethereal, airy, cloud built, cloud formed, gossamery, illusory, insubstantial, unreal, vacant, vacuous, empty, eviscerated, blank, hollow, nominal, null, inane

Phr. there's nothing in it, "an ocean of dreams without a sound", 3, formal existence internal conditions

Displacement Roget’s Thesaurus §185

N. displacement, elocation, transposition, # ejectment, exile, removal, misplacement, dislocation, fish out of water

V. displace, misplace, displant, dislodge, disestablish, exile, ablegate, set aside, remove, take away, cart away, take off, draft off, lade, unload, empty, transfer, dispel, vacate, depart

Adj. displaced, unplaced, unhoused, unharbored, unestablished, unsettled, houseless, homeless, out of place, out of a situation, in the wrong place, misplaced, out of its element, 3, existence in space

Absence Roget’s Thesaurus §187

N. absence, inexistence, # nonresidence, absenteeism, nonattendance, alibi, emptiness, void, vacuum, vacuity, vacancy, tabula rasa, exemption, hiatus, lipotype|, truant, absentee, nobody, nobody present, nobody on earth, not a soul, ame qui vive

V. be absent, keep away, keep out of the way, play truant, absent oneself, stay away, keep aloof, hold aloof, withdraw, make oneself scarce, vacate, go away

Adj. absent, not present, away, nonresident, gone, from home, missing, lost, wanting, omitted, nowhere to be found, inexistence, empty, void, vacant, vacuous, untenanted, unoccupied, uninhabited, tenantless, barren, sterile, desert, deserted, devoid, uninhabitable

Adv. without, minus, nowhere, elsewhere, neither here nor there, in default of, sans, behind one's back

Phr. the bird has flown, non est inventus, "absence makes the heart grow fonder", "absent in body but present in spirit", absento nemo ne nocuisse velit, "achilles absent was achilles still", aux absents les os, briller par son absence, "conspicuous by his absence", "in the hope to meet shortly again and make our absence sweet"

Ejection Roget’s Thesaurus §297

N. ejection, emission, effusion, rejection, expulsion, exportation, eviction, extrusion, trajection, discharge, emesis, vomiting, vomition, egestion, evacuation, ructation, eructation, bloodletting, venesection, phlebotomy, paracentesis, expuition, exspuition, tapping, drainage, clearance, clearage, deportation, banishment, rouge's march, relegation, extradition, dislodgment, bouncer, chucker-out*, vomit, vomitus, puke, barf

V. give exit, give vent to, let out, give out, pour out, squeeze out, send out, dispatch, despatch, exhale, excern|, excrete, embogue, secrete, secern, extravasate, shed, void, evacuation, emit, open the sluices, open the floodgates, turn on the tap, extrude, detrude, effuse, spend, expend, pour forth, squirt, spirt, spurt, spill, slop, perspire, breathe, blow, tap, draw off, bale out, lade out, let blood, broach, eject, reject, expel, discard, cut, send to coventry, boycott, chasser, banish, bounce *, fire *, fire out *, throw throw out, throw up, throw off, throw away, throw aside, push throw out, throw off, throw away, throw aside, shovel out, shovel away, sweep out, sweep away, brush off, brush away, whisk off, whisk away, turn off, turn away, send off, send away, discharge, send adrift, turn adrift, cast adrift, turn out, bundle out, throw overboard, give the sack to, send packing, send about one's business, send to the right about, strike off the roll, turn out neck and heels, turn out head and shoulders, turn out neck and crop, pack off, send away with a flea in the ear, send to jericho, bow out, show the door to, turn out of doors, turn out of house and home, evict, oust, unhouse, unkennel, dislodge, unpeople, dispeople, depopulate, relegate, deport, empty, drain to the dregs, sweep off, clear off, clear out, clear away, suck, draw off, clean out, make a clean sweep of, clear decks, purge, embowel, disbowel, disembowel, eviscerate, gut, unearth, root out, root up, averuncate|, weed out, get out, eliminate, get rid of, do away with, shake off, exenterate, vomit, throw up, regurgitate, spew, puke, keck, retch, heave, upchuck, chuck up, barf, belch out, cast up, bring up, be sick, get sick, worship the porcelain god, disgorge, expectorate, clear the throat, hawk, spit, sputter, splutter, slobber, drivel, slaver, slabber, eructate, drool, unpack, unlade, unload, unship, offload, break bulk, dump, be let out, spew forth, erupt, ooze

Adj. emitting, emitted, &c. v

Int. begone, get you gone, get away, go away, get along, go along, get along with you, go along with you, go your way, away with, off with you, get the hell out of here, [vulg.], go about your business, be off, avaunt, aroynt, allez-vous-en, jao, va-t'en

Ignorance Roget’s Thesaurus §491

N. ignorance, nescience, tabula rasa, crass ignorance, ignorance crasse, unfamiliarity, unacquaintance, unconsciousness, darkness, blindness, incomprehension, inexperience, simplicity, unknown quantities, x, y, z, sealed book, terra incognita, virgin soil, unexplored ground, dark ages, smattering, sciolism, glimmering, dilettantism, bewilderment, incapacity, pedantry, charlatanry, charlatism, philister, philistine

V. be ignorant, not know, know not, know not what, know nothing of, have no idea, have no notion, have no conception, not have the remotest idea, not know chalk from cheese, ignore, be blind to, keep in ignorance, see through a glass darkly, have a film over the eyes, have a glimmering, wonder whether, not know what to make of, not pretend to take upon, not take upon one self to say

Adj. ignorant, nescient, unknowing, unaware, unacquainted, unapprised, unapprized, unwitting, unweeting|, unconscious, witless, weetless, a stranger to, unconversant, uninformed, uncultivated, unversed, uninstructed, untaught, uninitiated, untutored, unschooled, misguided, unenlightened, philistine, behind the age, shallow, superficial, green, rude, empty, half-learned, illiterate, unread, uninformed, uneducated, unlearned, unlettered, unbookish, empty- headed, dizzy, wooly-headed, pedantic, in the dark, benighted, belated, blinded, blindfolded, hoodwinked, misinformed, au bout de son latin, at the end of his tether, at fault, at sea, caught tripping, unknown, unapprehended, unexplained, unascertained, uninvestigated, unexplored, unheard of, not perceived, concealed, novel

Adv. ignorantly, unawares, for anything, for aught one knows, not that one knows

Phr. "ignorance never settles a question", quantum animis erroris inest, [Ovid], "small latin and less greek", "that unlettered small-knowing soul", "there is no darkness but ignorance"

Int. god knows, heaven knows, the lord knows, who knows, nobody knows

Waste Roget’s Thesaurus §638

N. consumption, expenditure, exhaustion, dispersion, ebb, leakage, loss, wear and tear, waste, prodigality, misuse, wasting, rubbish, mountain in labor

V. spend, expend, use, consume, swallow up, exhaust, impoverish, spill, drain, empty, disperse, cast away, fool away, muddle away, throw away, fling away, fritter away, burn the candle at both ends, waste, squander, "waste its sweetness on the desert air", cast one's bread upon the waters, cast pearls before swine, employ a steam engine to crack a nut, waste powder and shot, break a butterfly on a wheel, labor in vain, cut blocks with a razor, pour water into a sieve, leak, run to waste, ebb, melt away, run dry, dry up

Adj. wasted, at a low ebb, wasteful, penny wise and pound foolish

Phr. magno conatu magnas nugas, le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle, "idly busy rolls their world away"

Insufficiency Roget’s Thesaurus §640

N. insufficiency, inadequacy, inadequateness, incompetence, deficiency, imperfection, shortcoming, paucity, stint, scantiness, none to spare, bare subsistence, scarcity, dearth, want, need, lack, poverty, exigency, inanition, starvation, famine, drought, dole, mite, pittance, short allowance, short commons, half rations, banyan day, emptiness, poorness, depletion, vacancy, flaccidity, ebb tide, low water, "a beggarly account of empty boxes", indigence, insolvency

V. be insufficient, not suffice, come short of run dry, want, lack, need, require, caret, be in want, live from hand to mouth, render insufficient, drain of resources, impoverish, stint, put on short allowance, do insufficiently, scotch the snake

Adj. insufficient, inadequate, too little, not enough, unequal to, incompetent, "weighed in the balance and found wanting", perfunctory, deficient, wanting, &c. v, imperfect, ill-furnished, ill-provided, ill- stored, ill-off, slack, at a low ebb, empty, vacant, bare, short of, out of, destitute of, devoid of, bereft of, denuded of, dry, drained, unprovided, unsupplied, unfurnished, unreplenished, unfed, unstored, untreasured, empty-handed, meager, poor, thin, scrimp, sparing, spare, stinted, starved, starving, halfstarved, famine-stricken, famished, jejune, scant, scarce, not to be had, not to be had for love or money, not to be had at any price, scurvy, stingy, at the end of one's tether, without resources, in want, in debt

Adv. insufficiently, in default of, for want of, failing

Phr. semper avarus eget

Inutility Roget’s Thesaurus §645

N. inutility, uselessness, inefficacy, futility, ineptitude, inaptitude, unsubservience, inadequacy, inefficiency, &c. (incompetence) 158, unskillfulness, disservice, unfruitfulness &c.(unproductiveness), 169, labor in vain, labor lost, labor of sisyphus, lost trouble, lost labor, work of penelope, sleeveless errand, wild goose chase, mere farce, tautology, supererogation, vanitas vanitatum, vanity, inanity, worthlessness, nugacity, triviality, caput mortuum, waste paper, dead letter, blunt tool, litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes, button top, shoddy, rags, orts, trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings, waste, rubble, debris, detritus, stubble, leavings, broken meat, dregs, weeds, tares, rubbish heap, dust hole, rudera, deads, fruges consumere natus

V. be useless, go a begging, fail, seek after impossibilities, strive after impossibilities, use vain efforts, labor in vain, roll the stone of sisyphus, beat the air, lash the waves, battre l'eau avec un baton, donner un coup d'epee dans l'eau, fish in the air, milk the ram, drop a bucket into an empty well, sow the sand, bay the moon, preach to the winds, speak to the winds, whistle jigs to a milestone, kick against the pricks, se battre contre des moulins, lock the stable door when the steed is stolen, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen, hold a farthing candle to the sun, cast pearls before swine, carry coals to newcastle, wash a blackamoor white, render useless, dismantle, dismast, dismount, disqualify, disable, unrig, cripple, lame, spike guns, clip the wings, put out of gear

Adj. useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless, inoperative, inadequate, inservient|, unsubservient, inept, inefficient, of no avail, ineffectual, incompetent, "stale, flat and unprofitable", superfluous, dispensable, thrown away, abortive, worthless, valueless, priceless, unsalable, not worth a straw dear at any price, vain, empty, inane, gainless, profitless, fruitless, unserviceable, unprofitable, ill-spent, unproductive, hors de combat, effete, past work, obsolete, fit for the dust hole, good for nothing, of no earthly use, not worth having, not worth powder and shot, leading to no end, uncalled for, unnecessary, unneeded

Adv. uselessly, to little purpose, to no purpose, to little or no purpose

Int. cui bono?, what's the good, phr, actum ne agas, chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin, tanto buon che val niente

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

41 KJV and 63 BSB verses contain “empty” — showing the first 20. Show all 76 verses (searchable)

Genesis 31:42

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

Genesis 37:24

And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.

Genesis 41:27

And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.

Genesis 42:35

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

Exodus 3:21

And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.

Exodus 23:15

Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before Me empty-handed.

Exodus 34:20

But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

You must redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No one shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Leviticus 14:36

Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:

The priest must order that the house be cleared before he enters it to examine the mildew, so that nothing in the house will become unclean. After this, the priest shall go in to inspect the house.

Deuteronomy 15:13

And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed.

Deuteronomy 16:16

Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed.

Judges 7:16

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.

Ruth 1:21

I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

Ruth 3:17

And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

1 Samuel 6:3

And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

They replied, “If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you.”

1 Samuel 12:21

And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.

1 Samuel 20:18

Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty.

1 Samuel 20:25

And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.

He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.

1 Samuel 20:27

And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?”

2 Samuel 1:22

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not retreat, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

2 Kings 4:3

Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.