empty
gb/ˈɛmpti/ us/ˈɛmpti/
A1
English
~ 1800
üres, kiürít, kipakol, üres üveg
A1
1
üres
A1
Usage pattern:
[something] is empty
The glass is empty after he drank the water.
A pohár üres, miután megitta belőle a vizet.
We walked through an empty hallway.
Egy üres folyosón sétáltunk végig.
Her desk drawer was completely empty.
The stadium looked empty after the concert ended.
Learner examples
The bag is empty.
A táska üres.
This cup is empty.
Ez a csésze üres.
The street is empty.
My plate is empty now.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'empty' with 'free'; 'free' means available, but 'empty' means there is nothing inside or present.
Meaning
Containing nothing inside
Collocations
empty room
|empty bottle
|empty street
|empty box
|empty chair
Synonyms
vacant (Often used for spaces without people or occupants, especially rooms or seats.)
Antonyms
full (Containing as much as possible or having no space left.)
Themes
daily life
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
With nothing inside; not holding anything.
Containing no people, objects, or substance.
VERB
A2
2
Usage pattern:
to empty [something]
Please empty the dishwasher before dinner.
Kérlek, pakold ki a mosogatógépet vacsora előtt.
He emptied his pockets onto the table.
Kipakolta a zsebeit az asztalra.
They emptied the room to prepare for painting.
Learner examples
I empty my bag every night.
Minden este kipakolom a táskámat.
She empties the trash in the kitchen.
Kiüríti a konyhai szemetest.
He empties the box before moving it.
Common mistake:
Some learners mistakenly use 'pour' instead of 'empty' when speaking about removing solid objects, but 'pour' usually refers to liquids.
Meaning
Remove all contents from something
Collocations
empty the trash
|empty a bottle
|empty your pockets
|empty the bin
Synonyms
clear out (Emphasizes removing all items from a place or container, often more informal.)
Antonyms
fill (To put things into something until it contains as much as it can.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
To take everything out of something so it has nothing inside.
To remove all the contents from a container, space, or place.
B1
3
üres
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] is empty
He made an empty promise he could not keep.
Üres ígéretet tett, amelyet nem tudott betartani.
Her speech was full of empty words.
A beszéde tele volt üres szavakkal.
They exchanged empty gestures at the meeting.
Learner examples
That was an empty promise.
Ez üres ígéret volt.
Her words are empty.
Üresek a szavai.
It is an empty gesture.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the physical sense of 'empty', but here it is abstract and about value or meaning.
Meaning
Lacking meaning, value, or sincerity
Collocations
empty promise
|empty words
|empty gesture
Synonyms
hollow (Suggests insincerity or lack of real value in actions or words.)
Antonyms
meaningful (Having real importance or purpose.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not having real feeling, meaning, or purpose.
Without real purpose, meaning, or sincerity.
NOUN
B2
4
He tossed the empty into the recycling bin.
Bedobta az üreset a szelektív hulladékgyűjtőbe.
We collected several empties after the party.
A buli után több üreset is összeszedtünk.
Learner examples
There are many empties in the bag.
Sok üres üveg van a táskában.
Please put the empties in the box.
Kérlek, tedd az üres üvegeket a dobozba.
Meaning
A container that has nothing inside it
Synonyms
vacancy (Can refer to an unoccupied space, but not commonly used for physical small containers.)
Antonyms
full one (Refers to a container that is filled.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
Something like a bottle or box that has nothing inside it.
A container or object that has no contents.
Grammar
Dictionary form
empty
IPA
GB/ˈɛmpti/
US/ˈɛmpti/
Syllables & stress
empty (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (empty)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: empty
- Comparative: emptier
- Superlative: emptiest
Verb
- Base: empty
- 3rd Person Singular: empties
- Present Participle: emptying
- Past: emptied
Word family
Expressions
empty out
1/ˈɛmpti ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Remove all contents from something fully
To take everything out of something until it has nothing inside.
Examples
- Please empty out your bag for inspection.
- They emptied out the drawers before moving.
empty-handed
1/ˈɛmpti hˈændɪd/
fixed phrase
Without getting what was wanted
Without bringing or getting what you expected or wanted.
Examples
- We went to the store but came back empty-handed.
- He left the meeting empty-handed after failing to get support.
run on empty
1/ɹˈʌn ˈɔn ˈɛmpti/
idiom
informal
Continue despite having no energy left
To keep working or going even though you are very tired or have no energy left.
Examples
- After three days without rest, she was running on empty.
- We're all running on empty after the long week.
empty nest
1/ˈɛmpti nˈɛst/
idiom
Home after children have moved out
A home where children have grown up and moved away, leaving the parents alone.
Examples
- After their youngest left for college, they found themselves in an empty nest.
- Many parents feel lonely in their empty nest.
empty nest
2/ˈɛmpti nˈɛst/
idiom
Home after children have left
A home where the children have grown up and left, so only the parents live there now.
Examples
- They are still getting used to the empty nest now that their youngest has gone to college.
- The couple decided to travel more once they found themselves in an empty nest.
- Many parents feel both freedom and sadness when they reach the empty nest stage.
on an empty stomach
1/ˈɔn ən ˈɛmpti stˈʌmək/
fixed phrase
Having eaten no food recently
Without eating anything beforehand.
Examples
- Don't take this medicine on an empty stomach.
- He went jogging on an empty stomach and felt dizzy.
on an empty stomach
2/ˈɔn ən ˈɛmpti stˈʌmək/
fixed phrase
Without having eaten recently
When you have not eaten anything before doing something.
Examples
- You shouldn't take this medicine on an empty stomach.
- Running on an empty stomach can make you feel weak.