hollow
1 of 4adjective
hol·low ˈhä-(ˌ)lō 
hollower ˈhä-lə-wər ; hollowest ˈhä-lə-wəst
; hollowest ˈhä-lə-wəst 1
: having an indentation or inward curve : concave, sunken
hollow cheeks
2
: having an unfilled or hollowed-out space within
a hollow tree
3
: lacking in real value, sincerity, or substance : false, meaningless
hollow promises
a victory over a weakling is hollow and without triumph
Ernest Beaglehole
Ernest Beaglehole4
: reverberating like a sound made in or by beating on a large empty enclosure : muffled
heard a hollow sound when he knocked on the wall
hollowly
ˈhä-lō-lē
adverb -lə-lē
hollowness noun
hollow
2 of 4noun
plural hollows
1
: an unfilled space : cavity, hole
in the hollow of a tree
2
: a depressed or low part of a surface
especially : a small valley or basin
hollow
3 of 4verb
hollowed; hollowing; hollows
transitive verb
1
: to remove the inside of : to make hollow (see hollow entry 1)
a hollowed tree
hollowing out pumpkins for Halloween
2
: to form by removing the inside of something : to form by making something hollow —usually used with out
rain barrels hollowed out from trees Robert Shaplenhollowing out a tunnel
Robert Shaplenhollowing out a tunnelintransitive verb
: to become hollow
his cheeks had hollowed
hollow
4 of 4adverb
1
: so as to have a hollow (see hollow entry 1 sense 4) sound
The sound echoed hollow in the cave.
: in a way that reflects a lack of real value, sincerity, or substance Their threats rang hollow.
2
: completely, thoroughly —often used with all
"… Edward is always real glad to get some of the old farmhouse goodies. He says they beat city cooking all hollow, and so they do." Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Synonyms
Adjective
- concave
- dented
- depressed
- dished
- indented
- recessed
- sunken
Noun
- cavity
- concavity
- dent
- depression
- dint
- hole
- indentation
- indenture
- pit
- recess
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective There was a hollow spot in the field. there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping Noun The owls nested in the hollow of a tree. made a little hollow in her mound of mashed potatoes and filled it with gravy Verb They hollowed the log to make a canoe.
Recent Examples on the Web Aron Solomon, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2022 Critics say Kishida's call for a nuclear-free world is hollow because Japan remains under the U.S. nuclear umbrella and continues to boycott the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Mari Yamaguchi, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 Explanations for the northern lights were offered; one theorized by a British astronomer was that the Earth was hollow and an opening near the North Pole allowed light to pour out from the planet’s core. Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2022 The handles are hollow, which helps keep them cool, and comfortable to hold. Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping, 29 May 2022 My guess is that the patriotic disguise is hollow and that the inane, formulaic Maverick is a test. Armond White, National Review, 27 May 2022 It’s made in a mold and is hollow, save for frame supports that look like the skeleton of a whale. Joseph Carberry, Outside Online, 27 May 2022 The music works in close synchronicity with the visuals, which are spectacular, of course — the budget is indeed visible on the screen — but also hollow. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 But while things worked out great for me, my own celebration will feel hollow until every borrower experiences the same relief. Julian Epp, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2022 Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 7 Sep. 2022 Use expansion, hollow-wall, or toggle anchors by pre-drilling a hole, inserting the anchor, then securing the object to the drywall by driving a screw into the anchor. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2022 The raging river that allegedly started at the silt pond has returned to the shallow creek that has long babbled down a deep ditch that slices through the hollow. Phil Mccausland, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2022 Where to stay Tucked into a woodsy hollow next to a babbling stream, McCaffrey House Bed and Breakfast is a cozy base camp. Sunset Magazine, 9 Aug. 2022 The scientist cut a slice out of the bone to count the layers, then filled a hollow in the bone with plastic and returned it to the whaler with a write-up about his whale’s age. Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Aug. 2022 At 9:51 a shotgun report echoed through the hollow below my position. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2022 Tucked in a picturesque Appalachian hollow near Burnsville in western North Carolina, Carolina Native Nursery is one of the largest growers of exclusively native plants. Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2022 Speed skates have long, solid blades without a hollow. Allison Goldstein, Popular Mechanics, 4 Feb. 2022 Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Aug. 2022 While no single case is aimed at overturning Chevron, a string of victories would essentially hollow it out. BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2022 Take the tea out of a tea bag, hollow it out and stand it up, and (carefully) take a match to it. Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 1 June 2022 The company originally used the water to hollow out five underground caverns, pumping it into the salt dome and then bringing it back up — full of dissolved salt — and storing it in the ponds. Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2022 When the institutions of government hollow out, what’s left is the chase for these cheap gratifications, removing the last self-restraints from those in power. George Packer, The Atlantic, 18 May 2022 But the past two years have been unusual as Atlanta, like many other major American cities, has seen its central business districts hollow out. Alexander Thompson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2022 Beech trees, which are native to Ohio and can live up to 300 years, also tend to hollow out over time, creating important nesting cavities for various critters. Peter Krouse, cleveland, 1 Apr. 2022 Both Philip and the Inquisitor live on, however hollow their souls. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2022 oregonlive, 19 May 2020 But the Iranian government's tendency to point the finger at Washington, or other malicious foreign actors, for unrest at home is ringing hollow now. Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, 13 Jan. 2020 This argument rings hollow, since college sports already sit on an uneven playing field. Sean Gregory, Time, 1 Oct. 2019 But the call for peace rings hollow today when the past and future so miss the mark. Lucy Dacus, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019 Despite all the runs and belting that Khalid can do, his voice rings hollow, an untethered reverberation against slick, genre-melding production. Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2019 The command rings hollow as a packaging slogan, but Smith lays it out there as a pointed provocation, part of the show's larger assertion that acts of nurture and nationhood, art and humanity are profoundly linked. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 3 July 2018 The idea that these laws are intended to make women and children safer rings hollow. Willie Parker, Glamour, 5 Apr. 2018 And some say his compassion for those affected by Harvey rings hollow given his lack of support for addressing climate change, which many see as exacerbating such major disasters. Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2017 See More
Adjective
The same Starbucks stories that are hollow today were once part of its foundation. Aron Solomon, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2022 Critics say Kishida's call for a nuclear-free world is hollow because Japan remains under the U.S. nuclear umbrella and continues to boycott the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Mari Yamaguchi, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 Explanations for the northern lights were offered; one theorized by a British astronomer was that the Earth was hollow and an opening near the North Pole allowed light to pour out from the planet’s core. Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2022 The handles are hollow, which helps keep them cool, and comfortable to hold. Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping, 29 May 2022 My guess is that the patriotic disguise is hollow and that the inane, formulaic Maverick is a test. Armond White, National Review, 27 May 2022 It’s made in a mold and is hollow, save for frame supports that look like the skeleton of a whale. Joseph Carberry, Outside Online, 27 May 2022 The music works in close synchronicity with the visuals, which are spectacular, of course — the budget is indeed visible on the screen — but also hollow. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 But while things worked out great for me, my own celebration will feel hollow until every borrower experiences the same relief. Julian Epp, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2022 Noun
If the shadow disappears, your dark circle is caused by a hollow. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 7 Sep. 2022 Use expansion, hollow-wall, or toggle anchors by pre-drilling a hole, inserting the anchor, then securing the object to the drywall by driving a screw into the anchor. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2022 The raging river that allegedly started at the silt pond has returned to the shallow creek that has long babbled down a deep ditch that slices through the hollow. Phil Mccausland, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2022 Where to stay Tucked into a woodsy hollow next to a babbling stream, McCaffrey House Bed and Breakfast is a cozy base camp. Sunset Magazine, 9 Aug. 2022 The scientist cut a slice out of the bone to count the layers, then filled a hollow in the bone with plastic and returned it to the whaler with a write-up about his whale’s age. Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Aug. 2022 At 9:51 a shotgun report echoed through the hollow below my position. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2022 Tucked in a picturesque Appalachian hollow near Burnsville in western North Carolina, Carolina Native Nursery is one of the largest growers of exclusively native plants. Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2022 Speed skates have long, solid blades without a hollow. Allison Goldstein, Popular Mechanics, 4 Feb. 2022 Verb
To prepare it, hollow out a loaf of French bread, then fill with breakfast favorites like eggs, sausage, and cheese. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Aug. 2022 While no single case is aimed at overturning Chevron, a string of victories would essentially hollow it out. BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2022 Take the tea out of a tea bag, hollow it out and stand it up, and (carefully) take a match to it. Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 1 June 2022 The company originally used the water to hollow out five underground caverns, pumping it into the salt dome and then bringing it back up — full of dissolved salt — and storing it in the ponds. Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2022 When the institutions of government hollow out, what’s left is the chase for these cheap gratifications, removing the last self-restraints from those in power. George Packer, The Atlantic, 18 May 2022 But the past two years have been unusual as Atlanta, like many other major American cities, has seen its central business districts hollow out. Alexander Thompson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2022 Beech trees, which are native to Ohio and can live up to 300 years, also tend to hollow out over time, creating important nesting cavities for various critters. Peter Krouse, cleveland, 1 Apr. 2022 Both Philip and the Inquisitor live on, however hollow their souls. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2022 Adverb
That notion rings hollow to Nick Cady, legal director for Cascadia Wildlands, one of the environmental organizations that originally petitioned to protect fishers in Oregon in 2000. oregonlive, 19 May 2020 But the Iranian government's tendency to point the finger at Washington, or other malicious foreign actors, for unrest at home is ringing hollow now. Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, 13 Jan. 2020 This argument rings hollow, since college sports already sit on an uneven playing field. Sean Gregory, Time, 1 Oct. 2019 But the call for peace rings hollow today when the past and future so miss the mark. Lucy Dacus, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019 Despite all the runs and belting that Khalid can do, his voice rings hollow, an untethered reverberation against slick, genre-melding production. Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2019 The command rings hollow as a packaging slogan, but Smith lays it out there as a pointed provocation, part of the show's larger assertion that acts of nurture and nationhood, art and humanity are profoundly linked. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 3 July 2018 The idea that these laws are intended to make women and children safer rings hollow. Willie Parker, Glamour, 5 Apr. 2018 And some say his compassion for those affected by Harvey rings hollow given his lack of support for addressing climate change, which many see as exacerbating such major disasters. Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English holgh, holugh, holwe, formally identical with holgh hollow entry 2, with adjectival meaning apparently after hol, holle "hollow, sunken," going back to Old English hol — more at hole entry 1
Noun
Middle English holgh, holough "hole, burrow, hollow of the hand," going back to Old English holh "cavity, hole," going back to *hulha-, probably extended form of Germanic *hula- "hollow, sunken" — more at hole entry 1
Verb
Middle English holowghen, holowen, holwen, derivative of holgh, holwe hollow entry 1
Adverb
derivative of hollow entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Adverb
1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing hollow
Kids Definition
hollow 1 of 3
adjective
hol·low ˈhä-lō
hollower; hollowest
1
: having a space inside : not solid
a hollow chocolate egg
2
: curved inward : sunken
hollow cheeks
3
: suggesting a sound made in an empty place
a hollow roar
4
: not sincere
a hollow promise
hollow
2 of 3noun
1
: a low spot in a surface
Circling around through the flats, I came to the hollow above the Pritchards' place. Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows
Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows2
: a small valley
3
: an empty space within something
Owls live in the hollow of the tree.
hollow
3 of 3verb
hollowed; hollowing
: to make or become hollow
The canoe was made by hollowing out a log.
Medical Definition
hollow
noun
hol·low ˈhäl-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w)
: a depressed part of a surface or a concavity
the hollow at the back of the knee
hollow 1 of 3
adjective
as in concave
curved inward there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- concave
- sunken
- dimpled
- cupped
- recessed
- indented
- depressed
- dented
- dished
- compressed
- cavernous
- cuplike
- alveolar
- recurved
- crescentic
- pockmarked
- condensed
- reduced
- diminished
- cuppy
- contracted
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- convex
- protuberant
- bulbous
- swollen
- protruding
- distended
- projecting
- inflated
- puffy
- risen
- enlarged
- spherical
- bloated
- extended
- bulging
- domed
- rounded
- round
- globular
- cambered
- protrusive
- blown up
- expanded
- puffed
- ballooning
- jutting
- global
hollow
2 of 3noun
1
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
- hole
- dent
- cavity
- pit
- furrow
- concavity
- indentation
- cavern
- ditch
- cave
- valley
- recess
- dint
- trench
- depression
- burrow
- bowl
- groove
- alcove
- trough
- pocket
- basin
- impression
- dimple
- excavation
- indenture
- gutter
- crater
- cleft
- socket
- opening
- void
- gouge
- vacuum
- nook
- abyss
- niche
- alveolus
- well
- chasm
- imprint
- sinkhole
- borehole
- pothole
- notch
- wallow
- water hole
- posthole
- vacuity
- chuckhole
- gulf
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- projection
- protrusion
- bulge
- hill
- protuberance
- convexity
- rise
- mound
- jut
- camber
- lump
- swelling
- swell
- tumor
- bump
- hump
- bunch
- pimple
2
as in valley
an area of lowland between hills or mountains a quaint village nestled in a hollow among green hills Synonyms & Similar Words
- valley
- ravine
- canyon
- vale
- glen
- gorge
- dale
- dene
- gully
- bowl
- dingle
- combe
- gulch
- rift valley
- gulley
- coomb
- coombe
- basin
- cañon
- dell
- depression
- kloof
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- mountain
- mount
- peak
- summit
- pinnacle
- height
- plateau
- mountaintop
- alp
- tableland
hollow
3 of 3verb
as in to groove
Synonyms & Similar Words
- groove
- gouge
- penetrate
- slit
- hole
- excavate
- gash
- cut
- split
- prick
- notch
- rupture
- poke
- bore
- slash
- burrow (into)
- pierce
- rend
- prickle
- puncture
- perforate
- drill
- punch
- break
- tap
- riddle
- broach
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fill
- patch
- seal
- plug
Synonym Chooser
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
Although the words idle and hollow have much in common, idle suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect.
idle speculations
The synonyms nugatory and hollow are sometimes interchangeable, but nugatory suggests triviality or insignificance.
a monarch with nugatory powers
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
While in some cases nearly identical to hollow, vain implies either absolute or relative absence of value.
vain promises
- fishinesses
- fishing
- fishing (for)
- fishing banks
- fishing bear
- fishing cat
- fishing duck
- fishing eagle
- fishing expedition
- fishing float
- fishing for
- fishing frog
- fishing ground
- fishing line
- fishing out
- fishing owl
- fishing pole
- fishing rod
- fishing space
- fishing tool
- fishing wand
- fishing worm
- fishings
- fishkills
- fishless