HOLLOW Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'hollow' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of hollow are empty , idle , nugatory , otiose , and vain . While all these words mean "being without worth or significance," empty and hollow suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or soundness or genuineness. // an empty attempt at reconciliation // a hollow victory

Q: When is it sensible to use 'idle' instead of 'hollow'?

Although the words idle and hollow have much in common, idle suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect. // idle speculations

Q: When could 'nugatory' be used to replace 'hollow'?

The synonyms nugatory and hollow are sometimes interchangeable, but nugatory suggests triviality or insignificance. // a monarch with nugatory powers

Q: When can 'otiose' be used instead of 'hollow'?

In some situations, the words otiose and hollow are roughly equivalent. However, otiose suggests that something serves no purpose and is either an encumbrance or a superfluity. // a film without a single otiose scene

Q: Where would 'vain' be a reasonable alternative to 'hollow'?

While in some cases nearly identical to hollow , vain implies either absolute or relative absence of value. // vain promises

hollow 1 of 3

adjective

ˈhä-(ˌ)lō

Definition of hollow

as in concave

curved inward there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hollow

2 of 3

noun

as in hole

a sunken area forming a separate space made a little hollow in her mound of mashed potatoes and filled it with gravy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in valley

an area of lowland between hills or mountains a quaint village nestled in a hollow among green hills

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hollow

3 of 3

verb

as in to gouge

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hollow distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of hollow are empty, idle, nugatory, otiose, and vain. While all these words mean "being without worth or significance," empty and hollow suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or soundness or genuineness.

an empty attempt at reconciliation

a hollow victory

When is it sensible to use idle instead of hollow?

Although the words idle and hollow have much in common, idle suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect.

idle speculations

When could nugatory be used to replace hollow?

The synonyms nugatory and hollow are sometimes interchangeable, but nugatory suggests triviality or insignificance.

a monarch with nugatory powers

When can otiose be used instead of hollow?

In some situations, the words otiose and hollow are roughly equivalent. However, otiose suggests that something serves no purpose and is either an encumbrance or a superfluity.

a film without a single otiose scene

Where would vain be a reasonable alternative to hollow?

While in some cases nearly identical to hollow, vain implies either absolute or relative absence of value.

vain promises

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hollow

Adjective

Spiders, for instance, have muscles surrounding their venom glands, which contract and eject venom through hollow fangs. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026 Ranging in diameter from 1 to 3 millimeters, each FiberMotor is in fact composed of two concentric hollow polymer fibers – a wider one on the outside, with a narrower one nested inside of it. — Ben Coxworth october 11, New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2026

Noun

This creates four pod-like spaces for the occupants who sit low in hollows between batteries. — New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026 Much of the balm’s immediate effect comes from moisture and emollience, which can temporarily make fine lines and hollows look less pronounced. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026

Verb

That, in the end, is what separates productive worry from the kind that hollows you out. — Angela Haupt, Time, 8 May 2026 For owners, labor has always been a cost center; AI is the first technology that credibly promises to hollow it out entirely. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hollow

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hollow

Adjective

The Rick Owens show included sparkling avant-garde boots with a fierce platform wedge, as well as sandals with concave wedge heels.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
The convex-concave curves of the open and closed parentheses cup something said by the way, whisperings, secrets mouthed into the reader’s ear, mumbled under the author’s breath.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of concave

Noun

His unit had shown holes in the secondary, ranking 131st in the country in pass defense.

— Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Joe Jackson ran for 159 yards and a touchdown, Avery Johnson threw for 203 yards and another score, and the Wildcats overcame a multitude of mistakes while rallying from an early 10-point hole to keep nearly two decades of dominance going.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of hole

Verb

Insurance carriers are often able to negotiate a better rate for the tow, if he was indeed getting gouged.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
During Fortescue’s early years, the environmental toll of gouging metals from the earth was all but an afterthought.

— Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of gouge

Adjective

Beside it, a triple slider reveals an indoor-outdoor game room with sunken chili-pepper-red velvet seating, a realistic Ben & Aja Blanc Moon Light recessed into the ceiling, and Sutherland’s must-have dry-erase board.

— Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
At the center sits an expansive salon with a large dining table, a sunken lounge, and a sculptural staircase leading to the owner’s deck.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of sunken

Noun

But energy policy experts say that the new pact is unlikely to make a dent in painfully high prices at the pump or elsewhere.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The messages put a dent in Segal’s version of that image, and offer a glimpse at parts of an Israeli media that has grown very close to its prime minister.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of dent

Verb

The Biden administration designated Tren de Aragua as a transnational criminal organization in 2024 following requests from Republicans who said the group’s members have penetrated the southern border.

— Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Radar love Each low-flying helicopter is outfitted with a ground penetrating radar (GPR) instrument, one that can detect layering in the near surface, at depths unobservable by orbital radar.

— Leonard David, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of penetrate

Noun

The idea all started because of the fact that C8 Corvettes all have an open cavity up front between the wheels where an electric motor can mount.

— Joel Feder, The Drive, 15 Oct. 2026
The individual who inflicted the fatal injury drove the spear downward through the victim’s left chest cavity from the front, piercing major arteries and the lungs before creating the hole in the left scapula.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of cavity

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hollos

hollow

hollowed

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“Hollow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hollow. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hollow

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