— hollowly , adv. — hollowness , n.
/hol"oh/ , adj., hollower, hollowest , n., v., adv.
adj.
1. having a space or cavity inside; not solid; empty: a hollow sphere.
2. having a depression or concavity: a hollow surface.
3. sunken, as the cheeks or eyes.
4. (of sound) not resonant; dull, muffled, or deep: a hollow voice.
5. without real or significant worth; meaningless: a hollow victory.
6. insincere or false: hollow compliments.
7. hungry; having an empty feeling: I feel absolutely hollow, so let's eat.
n.
8. an empty space within anything; a hole, depression, or cavity.
9. a valley: They took the sheep to graze in the hollow.
10. Foundry. a concavity connecting two surfaces otherwise intersecting at an obtuse angle.
v.t.
11. to make hollow (often fol. by out ): to hollow out a log.
12. to form by making something hollow (often fol. by out ): to hollow a place in the sand; boats hollowed out of logs.
v.i.
13. to become hollow.
adv.
14. in a hollow manner: The politician's accusations rang hollow.
15. beat all hollow , to surpass or outdo completely: His performance beat the others all hollow.
Also, beat hollow .
[ bef. 900; ME holw ( e ), holow, OE holh a hollow place; akin to HOLE ]
Syn. 5. vain, empty, futile, pointless.