51Թ

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View synonyms for

hollow

[hol-oh]

adjective

hollower, hollowest 
  1. having a space or cavity inside; not solid; empty.

    a hollow sphere.

  2. having a depression or concavity.

    a hollow surface.

  3. sunken, as the cheeks or eyes.

  4. (of sound) not resonant; dull, muffled, or deep.

    a hollow voice.

  5. without real or significant worth; meaningless.

    a hollow victory.

    Synonyms: , , ,
  6. insincere or false.

    hollow compliments.

  7. hungry; having an empty feeling.

    I feel absolutely hollow, so let's eat.



noun

  1. an empty space within anything; a hole, depression, or cavity.

  2. a valley.

    They took the sheep to graze in the hollow.

  3. Foundry.a concavity connecting two surfaces otherwise intersecting at an obtuse angle.

verb (used with object)

  1. to make hollow (often followed byout ).

    to hollow out a log.

  2. to form by making something hollow (often followed byout ).

    to hollow a place in the sand;

    boats hollowed out of logs.

verb (used without object)

  1. to become hollow.

adverb

  1. in a hollow manner.

    The politician's accusations rang hollow.

hollow

/ ˈɒəʊ /

adjective

  1. having a hole, cavity, or space within; not solid

  2. having a sunken area; concave

  3. recessed or deeply set

    hollow cheeks

  4. (of sounds) as if resounding in a hollow place

  5. without substance or validity

  6. hungry or empty

  7. insincere; cynical

  8. the capacity to eat or drink a lot without ill effects

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. informalto defeat someone thoroughly and convincingly

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a cavity, opening, or space in or within something

  2. a depression or dip in the land

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to make or become hollow

  2. to form (a hole, cavity, etc) or (of a hole, etc) to be formed

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • hollowly adverb
  • hollowness noun
  • half-hollow adjective
  • unhollow adjective
  • unhollowed adjective
  • ˈDZǷɱ adverb
  • ˈDZǷɲԱ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of hollow1

First recorded before 900; Middle English holow, holw(e), Old English holh “a hollow place”; akin to hole
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of hollow1

C12: from holu, inflected form of Old English holh cave; related to Old Norse holr, German hohl; see hole
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. beat all hollow, to surpass or outdo completely: Also beat hollow.

    His performance beat the others all hollow.

see beat the pants off (hollow).
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"It is no justification for a disrespect or for a hollowing out of the Geneva Conventions," she said.

From

However, a hollow feeling was left after both finals, given how much of a whimper the Scots went out with on each occasion.

From

However, despite the bluster, Trump's warning may be a little more hollow than it seems.

From

This time, things are different, with the administration hollowing out many of the mechanisms of government, including federal grants and aid across the board.

From

It also withers behind a paywall, is manipulated by social media algorithms and hollowed out by covert corporate consolidation.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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