Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "hollow" []

  • Having a cavity, gap, or space within: a hollow wall. (adjective)
  • Deeply indented or concave; sunken: "His bearded face already has a set, hollow look” ( Conor Cruise O'Brien). (adjective)
  • Without substance or character: a hollow person. See Synonyms at vain. (adjective)
  • Devoid of truth or validity; specious: "Theirs is at best a hollow form of flattery” ( Annalyn Swan). (adjective)
  • Having a reverberating, sepulchral sound: hollow footsteps. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "hollow" in a sentence
  • "We did nothing when we heard the shooting as your airship took flight, then … He shrugged, his expression hollow."
  • "The nut looked as if it were filled with tobacco or black rich earth; it was what we call hollow, or worm-eaten."
  • "Economists and pundits have long feared the emergence of what they called "hollow corporations," or businesses that don't actually produce actual goods or services themselves, but instead act as brokers or intermediaries relying on networks of suppliers and partners."