Emptiness
nounThe state of containing nothing, or a feeling of being without meaning or fulfilment.
How to spell emptiness
9 letters · 3 syllables
How to pronounce emptiness
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does emptiness mean?
- nounThe state of containing nothing, or a feeling of being without meaning or fulfilment.
Emptiness in a sentence
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The emptiness of the warehouse made every footstep echo.
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After the project ended, she felt a strange emptiness in her daily routine.
Where does emptiness come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
The base word empty comes from the Old English æmettig, which originally meant 'unoccupied' or 'at leisure', built on æmetta meaning 'leisure' or 'freedom from work'. Over time the sense shifted from 'free of duties' to 'containing nothing', the meaning we know today. The abstract noun emptiness was formed in English by adding the native suffix -ness, which turns an adjective into a noun for its state or quality, just as in darkness and kindness. A quiet spelling trap hides in the middle: the word keeps the silent 'p' inherited from empty, and the final 'y' of empty changes to 'i' before -ness, giving 'empti-' rather than 'empty-'. Because the 'p' is barely sounded and the 'y' to 'i' swap is easy to forget, careful writers double-check both spots.
How the word is built
- empty (from Old English æmettig: vacant, at leisure)
- -ness (noun-forming suffix denoting a state or quality)
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