hollow
empty inside, not solid
Having space inside instead of being solid all the way through.
a hollow [object]; [something] is hollow
- The statue looks heavy, but it's actually hollow.
- We found a snake living inside a hollow tree.
- Pour the chocolate into a hollow mold and let it set.
- The pipe is hollow so the wires can run through it.
- He hid the money in a hollow brick in the wall.
- The ball is hollow and full of air.
- They stored food in a hollow rock.
- The tube feels light because it is hollow.
- The bird made a nest in a hollow log.
- This metal stick is not solid; it is hollow.
insincere or without real value
Not real or true in feeling or value, only seeming to be good or important.
a hollow [victory/promise/laugh]; [words] sound hollow
- Their celebration felt hollow once they realized how much damage the project had caused.
- He gave a hollow laugh that showed he was still hurt.
- After years of broken agreements, her apology sounded hollow.
- Winning by cheating turned what should have been a triumph into a hollow victory.
- People are tired of hollow promises from politicians.
- His smile looked hollow and sad.
- She said sorry, but her words were hollow.
- It was a win, but it felt hollow.
- The praise was hollow and did not help him.
- Many people do not trust hollow promises.
small valley or land dip
A small low place in the ground, like a little valley.
a hollow in [the ground/the hills]
- The village lay in a quiet hollow between the hills.
- Rainwater filled the hollow and formed a small pond.
- They set up camp in a sheltered hollow out of the wind.
- The deer rested in a grassy hollow at the edge of the forest.
- A narrow path led down into the hollow where the stream ran.
- The house is in a small hollow.
- Water stayed in the hollow after the rain.
- They walked down into a hollow in the field.
- Cows were eating grass in the hollow.
- Fog was thick in the hollow between the trees.
cavity or curved inner part
A small empty space or curved low part in something, especially in a body or object.
the hollow of [a body part]; a hollow in [something]
- She poured water into the hollow of her hand and drank.
- He rested his head in the hollow of her shoulder.
- Birds were nesting in a hollow in the old oak tree.
- They hid the key in a hollow behind a loose brick.
- The doctor pressed gently on the hollow at the base of his neck.
- He held the coin in the hollow of his hand.
- There is a small hollow in the wall.
- A bird lives in the hollow of that tree.
- She felt pain in the hollow of her back.
- He put his thumb in the hollow under her chin.
make something hollow inside
To take out the inside part of something so that it has an empty space inside.
to hollow (out) [something]
- They hollowed out a pumpkin to make a lantern.
- Over time, the river hollowed a deep channel in the rock.
- The craftsman hollowed the log to turn it into a canoe.
- She carefully hollowed out a space in the book to hide the key.
- The tunnels were hollowed through the mountain by machines.
- We will hollow out the bread and put soup inside.
- He hollowed out a small place in the wood.
- The kids hollowed a pumpkin for Halloween.
- Water slowly hollowed the stone.
- They hollowed out the hill to build a road.
dull, echoing sound quality
Sounding dull and strange, like a noise made inside an empty room or container.
a hollow [sound/voice]; [sound] is hollow
- Her footsteps made a hollow sound on the wooden floor.
- His voice was hollow, as if he were speaking from far away.
- The knock on the door had a hollow echo.
- The cheap speakers produced a thin, hollow sound.
- A hollow thud came from somewhere in the attic.
- I heard a hollow sound in the empty room.
- His voice was low and hollow.
- The drum gave a hollow boom.
- She knocked and it sounded hollow.
- The hall was empty, so every step was hollow and loud.
sunken cheeks or eyes
Used about the face when the cheeks or eyes look deep and empty because someone is very thin, sick, or tired.
hollow [cheeks/eyes/face]
- His cheeks were hollow after weeks in the hospital.
- She stared at him with tired, hollow eyes.
- The refugees arrived thin, hollow-faced, and exhausted.
- Dark circles and hollow eyes showed how little sleep he had.
- Her once round face had become pale and hollow.
- He has hollow cheeks after his illness.
- Her hollow eyes show that she is very tired.
- The man looked thin and hollow-faced.
- After the long trip, their faces were hollow and pale.
- The boy's hollow cheeks worried his parents.
- Base: hollow
- Comparative: hollower
- Superlative: hollowest
- Base: hollow
- Plural: hollows
- Base: hollow
- 3rd Person Singular: hollows
- Present Participle: hollowing
- Past: hollowed
a hollow laugh
1laugh without real joy
A laugh that does not show real happiness, often used when someone is upset or does not really find something funny.
- She let out a hollow laugh when he called the situation 'a minor problem'.
- At the bad news, he gave a short, hollow laugh.
- His hollow laugh told me he was still angry.
a hollow promise
1promise that won't be kept
A promise that is not real and will probably not be kept.
- Many voters saw the speech as full of hollow promises.
- He was tired of her hollow promises to change.
- Without a plan, their promise to fix the problem sounded hollow.
a hollow victory
1win without real benefit
A win or success that does not make you happy or does not really help you.
- Beating an injured opponent was a hollow victory.
- Without the prize money, the award felt like a hollow victory.
- For many workers, the legal change was a hollow victory with little effect on daily life.
beat someone hollow
1defeat someone completely
To win against someone by a very large difference; to defeat someone completely.
- Our team beat them hollow in the final.
- In tests of battery life, this phone beats its rivals hollow.
- She beat him hollow in the debate.
have a hollow ring
1seem false or insincere
If words 'have a hollow ring', they sound false or not sincere.
- His sudden concern for the poor had a hollow ring.
- To many workers, the company's promise of change has a hollow ring.
- After years of delay, their explanations have a hollow ring.
hollow cheeks
1sunken, thin-looking cheeks
Cheeks that go inward and look very thin, often because someone is sick or has lost weight.
- The actor had hollow cheeks after losing weight for the role.
- Her hollow cheeks and pale skin worried her friends.
- His once round face now had sharp bones and hollow cheeks.
hollow eyes
1sunken, tired-looking eyes
Eyes that look deep, dark, and very tired, often because someone is sick, sad, or has not slept.
- The photo showed a man with hollow eyes and a blank stare.
- After the night shift, her hollow eyes gave away her exhaustion.
- His hollow eyes made his smile look even sadder.
hollow out
1remove the inside part
To take out the inside part of something so that there is an empty space inside.
- We spent the afternoon hollowing out pumpkins for Halloween.
- The carpenter hollowed out the beam to hide the cables.
- Over centuries, the river has hollowed out a deep cave in the cliff.
hollow sound
1dull, echoing kind of sound
A sound that is dull and echoing, like a noise made inside an empty room or container.
- The ball made a hollow sound when it hit the floor.
- He tapped the wall and heard a hollow sound, so he knew it was not solid.
- The empty hall gave a hollow sound with every step.
hollow voice
1dull, empty-sounding voice
A voice that sounds dull, weak, or as if it comes from an empty space, often showing tiredness or lack of feeling.
- She spoke in a hollow voice, as if she had given up.
- His hollow voice echoed in the empty hall.
- The message was delivered in a cold, hollow voice.
in the hollow of (someone's) hand
1completely under someone's control
To be completely under someone's control or power, or completely safe because of that person.
- After the scandal, the media had him in the hollow of their hand.
- With so much data, the company holds its customers in the hollow of its hand.
- The child slept peacefully, his future in the hollow of his parents' hands.
ring hollow
1sound false or insincere
If words or a promise 'ring hollow', they sound false or not sincere.
- After so many delays, their new apology rings hollow.
- His words of support rang hollow when he refused to help in action.
- The company's claims about caring for the environment rang hollow.