I. hol ‧ low 1 /ˈhɒləʊ $ ˈhɑː-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: holh 'hole, hollow place' ]
1 . EMPTY INSIDE having an empty space inside:
a hollow tree
2 . hollow eyes/cheeks etc eyes etc where the skin sinks inwards:
He was short and thin, with hollow eyes.
3 . SOUND a hollow sound is low and clear like the sound made when you hit something empty:
There was a hollow thump as the cars collided.
4 . NO VALUE words, events, or people that are hollow have no real worth or value:
They won, but it was a hollow victory.
Even as he spoke, Ivan was well aware of the hollow ring to his words.
5 . hollow laugh/voice etc a hollow laugh or voice makes a weak sound and is without emotion
—hollowly adverb :
Sam laughed hollowly.
—hollowness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
■ 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.
II. hollow 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
a place in something that is at a slightly lower level than its surface SYN dip :
Make a slight hollow in the middle of each cake.
III. hollow 3 BrE AmE verb [transitive usually passive]
to make the surface of something curve inwards:
The steps were hollowed by centuries of use.
hollow something ↔ out phrasal verb
to make a hole or empty space by removing the inside part of something