hollow meaning

hollow as an adjective

1. not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
   • a hollow wall
   • a hollow tree
   • hollow cheeks
   • his face became gaunter and more hollow with each year

   Opposite: solid

   Similar: cavernous, deep-set, fistular, tubular

   Related forms: hollowness

2. as if echoing in a hollow space
   • the hollow sound of footsteps in the empty ballroom

   Similar: reverberant

3. devoid of significance or force
   • empty promises
   • a hollow victory
   • vacuous comments

   Synonyms: empty, vacuous

   Similar: meaningless

   Related forms: hollowness

4. lacking in substance or character
   • a hollow person

   Similar: insubstantial

hollow as a noun

1. a cavity or space in something
   • hunger had caused the hollows in their cheeks

   Type of: cavity

2. a small valley between mountains
   • he built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Appalachians

   Synonyms: holler

   Type of: valley

   Kinds: dell

3. a depression hollowed out of solid matter

   Synonyms: hole

   Type of: natural depression

   Kinds: burrow, gopher hole, kettle hole, pit, pothole, rabbit burrow, wormhole

hollow as a verb

1. remove the inner part or the core of
   • the mining company wants to excavate the hillside

   Synonyms: excavate, dig

   Type of: remove

   Kinds: drive, trench

2. remove the interior of
   • hollow out a tree trunk

   Synonyms: hollow out, core out

   Type of: empty

   Kinds: rout, scallop, hole, suck in, scoop out, cavern, cave, dig, excavate, core

hollow in a sentence

• Rain formed pools in the hollow spaces on the rocks.
• The fox hid in the hollow tree.
• A man without ideals is hollow.
• The stars twinkled over the pointed firs in the hollow.
• Claudio knocked on the wall and it seemed to be hollow.

How to pronounce hollow

hollow is pronounced /ˈhɒləʊ/ in British English and /ˈhɑloʊ/ in American English. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.

Words that rhyme with hollow

• follow
• swallow