empty-handed
adjective
emp·ty-hand·ed
ˌem(p)-tē-ˈhan-dəd 
1
: having or bringing nothing
2
: having acquired or gained nothing
came back empty-handed
Examples of empty-handed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Escola did not go home empty-handed, however, winning the Tony for best lead actor in a play and drawing what may have been the largest applause of the night.
—
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
More recently, Scorsese’s 2023 historical crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon was nominated for 10 Oscars but came away from the ceremony empty-handed.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
That was highlighted in a 2022 study from the journal Cognitive Development in which 64 children aged between 3 and 5 were shown videos where puppets promised to show them a toy then left only to return empty-handed.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Senning likes to follow the rule of visiting someone’s house: Never show up empty-handed.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for empty-handed
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Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
More recently, Scorsese’s 2023 historical crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon was nominated for 10 Oscars but came away from the ceremony empty-handed.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
That was highlighted in a 2022 study from the journal Cognitive Development in which 64 children aged between 3 and 5 were shown videos where puppets promised to show them a toy then left only to return empty-handed.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Senning likes to follow the rule of visiting someone’s house: Never show up empty-handed.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for empty-handed
Cite this Entry
“Empty-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empty-handed. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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