emptiness

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈɛmptinəs/ UK /ˈɛmptinəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the state of containing nothing or lacking meaning

A profound emptiness settled over the abandoned house.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of containing... void vacancy hollowness vacuity blankness nothingness

Opposites

fullness abundance plenitude repletion

Word family

Related forms emptyemptily

Etymology

From empty (from Old English ǣmettig 'at leisure, empty, unoccupied') + the noun-forming suffix -ness.

ǣmettig Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# emptiness

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɛmptinəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɛmptinəs/

## Meanings
1. the state of containing nothing or lacking meaning

## Examples
- A profound emptiness settled over the abandoned house.

## Synonyms
- void
- vacancy
- hollowness
- vacuity
- blankness
- nothingness

## Antonyms
- fullness
- abundance
- plenitude
- repletion

## Related Forms
- empty
- emptily

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ǣmettig

## Etymology
From empty (from Old English ǣmettig 'at leisure, empty, unoccupied') + the noun-forming suffix -ness.

## AI Etymology
Emptiness comes from empty (from Old English ǣmettig 'at leisure, empty, unoccupied') + the noun-forming suffix -ness. Morphologically, the form is compositional, with the named elements combining to produce the modern spelling and sense. In present use, it is used as a noun meaning "the state of containing nothing or lacking meaning", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The wider English family includes related forms such as empty and emptily, showing how the same historical material continues to organize neighboring vocabulary. The named historical forms include Old English ǣmettig, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance. Its semantic neighborhood is marked by void, vacancy, hollowness, and vacuity on one side and contrasts such as fullness, abundance, and plenitude on the other, locating the modern specialization without adding a new origin story.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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