1
as in hunger
a need or desire for food
the emptiness that usually sets in about three o'clock in the afternoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in void
empty space
there in the vast emptiness of the desert was a long-abandoned jeep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vacancy
the quality or state of being empty
the emptiness of the interior of the isolated house just made it seem all the more eerie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of emptiness
Kerr and several staffers compared the emptiness around downtown, coupled with the frigid temperatures outside, to feelings that existed during COVID.
—
Nick Friedell, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Many roads in Austin remained icy on Monday morning and many coffee shops and restaurants echoed the emptiness on the streets with their own temporary closures.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
Music is a powerful way to overcome a sense of emptiness and sadness.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
But on Monday, there was only that pit-of-your-stomach gnawing concoction of disappointment, frustration and emptiness that foments when a chance for history is squandered.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Saenredam’s empty church interiors and shook it until even the emptiness fell out.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Despite access to modern comforts and technology, many people still report a sense of emptiness.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Instead, the general indifference shown toward its own story — or, at least, the best versions of it — comes to emphasize the emptiness at its core.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2026
He was left with an unfamiliar emptiness.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Nick Friedell, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Many roads in Austin remained icy on Monday morning and many coffee shops and restaurants echoed the emptiness on the streets with their own temporary closures.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
Music is a powerful way to overcome a sense of emptiness and sadness.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
But on Monday, there was only that pit-of-your-stomach gnawing concoction of disappointment, frustration and emptiness that foments when a chance for history is squandered.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Saenredam’s empty church interiors and shook it until even the emptiness fell out.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Despite access to modern comforts and technology, many people still report a sense of emptiness.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Instead, the general indifference shown toward its own story — or, at least, the best versions of it — comes to emphasize the emptiness at its core.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2026
He was left with an unfamiliar emptiness.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptiness
Noun
-
So while the hundo bond is an unusual offering with some ominous historical precedents (particularly in tech), there’s clearly some hunger for it.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Androw, owner of E & D Pizza in Avon and a leader on the national pizza scene is known for using pizza for good causes from hunger to fulfilling the wishes of terminally ill children.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As data disappears and health recommendations slacken, independent groups are rallying together to fill the public health data and leadership void.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Running back Rico Dowdle was a newcomer this year, filling the void quite nicely after Chuba Hubbard missed some time.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The council also approved the appointment of Josiah Ben-Oni Graham to fill a partial-term vacancy that expires in November.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Sitting commissioners of the housing authority make recommendations to fill vacancies on the panel, subject to the approval of the city's Board of Directors, which has a window of time following the decision to confirm or reject an individual.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Coffee can increase acid production—which can lead to nausea, acid reflux, and an upset stomach.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
10 Feb. 2026
-
This duo appears to block certain chemical messengers in the gut and brain that trigger nausea and vomiting, and improve digestion by speeding up the rate at which food leaves the stomach.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
More than once, these wild understatements put me in mind of the comedian Nathan Fielder, whose odd blankness is often used to great effect in his work—although Honnold seemed perfectly sincere.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Perhaps there’s comfort to be found in the stillness and blankness of winter.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In the crushing depths of the ocean or the vacuum of deep space, one of the key threats to technology is the fading battery.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Top performers in the STAR 50 Index over the past five trading days included semiconductor materials company SICC, vacuum robot company Roborock, AI industrial automation company Supcon and smartphone maker Transsion.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Over the past couple of years, as millions of Americans began taking these GLP-1s — and as appetites have shrunk — restaurants started to notice.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Today, travel appetites have changed.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But the blanks in D__’s name, like everything else in Poppick’s portrait of a poet as an aging millennial man, are deliberate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Obviously, blanks were used, but the concussive blast of the cannon needed to be regulated.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emptiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptiness. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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