1
general::
verb make sth empty ADV. completely The cupboards had all been completely emptied. | half | out We emptied out the tank. PREP. of He emptied the bottle of its contents. become empty ADV. completely | half The hall half emptied as bored businessmen raced for the buffet tables. | out The room gradually emptied out. PREP. into The castle had a deep moat which emptied into the lake. | of The streets soon emptied of shoppers., adj. VERBS appear, be, feel, lie, look, seem The box lay empty on the bed. | become, end up The reservoirs could end up empty if this dry weather continues. | remain, stand, stay The council is letting useful housing stand empty. | leave sth The house had been left empty for several weeks. ADV. completely, quite, totally, utterly There was a vast expanse of utterly empty sky to look at. | almost, nearly, practically, virtually | largely, mostly | half a half-empty box of chocolates | fairly, relatively Some parts of the city are desperately overcrowded while others are relatively empty. | apparently | curiously, horribly The house felt curiously empty without the children. PREP. of The streets were empty of people.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
with nothing in it or on it
empty
used about something that has nothing inside:
• an empty can of hair spray • The fridge is almost empty.
blank
used about a computer screen or a piece of paper that has no writing or pictures on it, or a CD, DVD etc with nothing recorded on it:
• a blank sheet of paper • He stared at the blank screen for a few minutes. • a blank tape
bare
used about a room or cupboard that has very little in it:
• His room was bare except for a bed and a wardrobe.
hollow
used about something that has an empty space inside:
• a hollow tree • The suitcase had a hollow bottom.
with no people
empty
used about a place that has no one in it or no one using it:
• There were no lights on and the house looked empty. • the empty streets
free
used about a seat, space, or room that is available to use because no one else is using it:
• Is this seat free? • There are never any parking spaces free at this time of day.
vacant
used about a room or building that is available for people to pay to use:
• a vacant apartment • The next guesthouse we tried had a couple of rooms vacant.
deserted
used about a place that is quiet because there is no one there, or because the people who used to be there have left:
• a deserted village • It was three o'clock in the morning and the streets were deserted.
uninhabited
used about a place that has no people living in it, especially permanently:
• an uninhabited island
unoccupied
especially written used about a house, room, or office that no one is living in or using at the moment:
• unoccupied buildings • Burglaries frequently happen when people are on holiday and their house is unoccupied.
Longman-Thesaurus