hollow
hollow — adjective
1. describing something that has nothing solid in its middle — like a tree trunk wh
describing something that has nothing solid in its middle — like a tree trunk whose centre is empty, or a chocolate figure with no filling inside.
The old tree beside the stream was completely hollow inside.
Min bit into the chocolate egg and found it was hollow.
hollow chocolate figure — contrasts with solid
The builders used hollow concrete blocks to keep the walls light.
collocation: hollow concrete blocks
Birds had built a nest inside the hollow part of the fence post.
the hollow part of [noun]
A hollow log can make a safe hiding place for small animals.
- hollow tree
- hollow log
- hollow block
- hollow ball
- hollow tube
- solid
filled with material throughout; the opposite of 'hollow' in physical description
Usage Note
Commonly used to describe objects that are empty by design (chocolate, blocks) or by natural decay (tree trunks, logs).
Common Mistakes
2. curving inward or appearing deeply set in the face, especially the cheeks or the
curving inward or appearing deeply set in the face, especially the cheeks or the area around the eyes, often as a result of tiredness, illness, or old age.
After three nights without proper sleep, Ramón's cheeks looked hollow.
hollow cheeks after lack of sleep
The patient's hollow eyes told the nurse she needed more rest.
hollow eyes — set deep in face
Élise noticed that her grandmother's face had grown more hollow over the winter.
grown hollow — gradual change
A diet with too little food can give a person hollow cheeks and a thin frame.
The hollow look around her eyes was the first sign that something was wrong.
collocation: hollow look
- hollow cheeks
- hollow eyes
- hollow look
- hollow face
- hollow gaze
- full
opposite for describing cheeks; 'full cheeks' means round and healthy-looking
Usage Note
Almost exclusively used for cheeks, eyes, or the face. Not used for other body parts.
Common Mistakes
3. lacking real meaning, truth, or honest feeling — used to describe promises, apol
lacking real meaning, truth, or honest feeling — used to describe promises, apologies, praise, or victories that feel empty or without substance.
The politician's hollow promises did not fool anyone in the audience.
collocation: hollow promises
Ayesha knew her apology sounded hollow, even though she meant every word.
sounded hollow — perceptual verb pattern
Winning the trophy without her best friend beside her felt like a hollow victory.
collocation: hollow victory
The company's hollow expressions of regret did nothing to change public opinion.
His speech was so full of hollow phrases that no one clapped at the end.
collocation: hollow phrases / hollow words
- hollow promise
- hollow victory
- hollow apology
- hollow words
- hollow threat
- ring hollow
- sound hollow
- empty
nearly interchangeable in this abstract sense, but 'hollow' emphasises the shallowness more strongly
- meaningless
focuses on lack of significance rather than lack of sincerity
- superficial
describes something that only appears meaningful on the surface
- vain
emphasises futility; 'vain' often suggests the effort was wasted, not just insincere
- sincere
genuine and honest; the direct opposite of 'hollow' in abstract senses
- meaningful
full of real value or significance
Usage Note
Frequently modifies abstract nouns such as 'promise', 'victory', 'apology', 'praise', 'threat', and 'gesture'. Often used with linking verbs like 'sound', 'feel', and 'ring' (as in 'ring hollow').
Common Mistakes
4. describing a low, echoing sound like the noise made when you knock on or hit an
describing a low, echoing sound like the noise made when you knock on or hit an empty container.
When Ramón knocked on the wall, it made a hollow sound.
make a hollow sound — verb-object pattern
The hollow echo of their footsteps travelled down the long empty hallway.
hollow echo — sound description
A hollow thud came from the metal box when it hit the stone floor.
Chidi tapped the old drum and was surprised by the hollow note it produced.
collocation: hollow thud / hollow note / hollow sound
- hollow sound
- hollow thud
- hollow echo
- hollow note
- hollow ring
ring hollow/false
idiomIt seems not honest or real when you hear it.
The politician's apology rang hollow to the voters.
Did his excuse ring false to you?
It gives the feeling of being honest and real, or not.
Her story about the accident rings true to me.
The company's promises rang hollow after the layoffs.
hollow — noun
1. a hole, empty space, or low area inside or on the surface of something — for exa
a hole, empty space, or low area inside or on the surface of something — for example, a gap in a tree trunk, a dip in the ground, or a space inside a rock.
The rabbit disappeared into a hollow beneath the roots of the oak tree.
into a hollow — prepositional phrase showing destination
Rainwater had collected in a small hollow on the garden path.
Ramón kept the spare key in a hollow in the stone wall behind the gate.
kept [sth] in a hollow — storage use
The ground had a deep hollow where the old tree roots had rotted away.
- a hollow in
- small hollow
- deep hollow
- natural hollow
- rock hollow
- bump
a raised area on a surface; the opposite of a depression or hollow
Usage Note
Often used with a prepositional phrase specifying location: 'a hollow in [something]'. Different from 'hole' — a 'hollow' is usually a depression or cavity rather than an opening that goes all the way through.
Common Mistakes
2. a small valley or sheltered basin of land, usually bounded by hills or low mount
a small valley or sheltered basin of land, usually bounded by hills or low mountains.
Their farm sat in a quiet hollow between two forested hills.
in a quiet hollow — location description
Defne's family had lived in that hollow for three generations.
A small stream wound through the hollow, watering the rice paddies on both sides.
through the hollow — movement through a valley
The village of about thirty houses lay in a sheltered hollow near the coast.
- quiet hollow
- wooded hollow
- sleepy hollow
- deep hollow
- mountain hollow
- ridge
the raised crest of a hill; the opposite of a valley or hollow in the landscape
Usage Note
This sense is most common in place names (e.g., 'Sleepy Hollow') and in rural or literary descriptions of the landscape. In everyday conversation, 'valley' is far more frequent than 'hollow' for this meaning.
hollow — verb
1. to take out the inner part of something so that only the outer shell or surface
to take out the inner part of something so that only the outer shell or surface remains — for example, removing the flesh from a pumpkin to make a lantern, or clearing the inside of a log.
Christopher hollowed out the pumpkin and put a candle inside it.
hollow out — phrasal verb for removing insides
To make a simple canoe, you first need to hollow a large tree trunk.
The children hollowed the inside of the log to create a secret hiding spot.
hollow + object — transitive pattern
Min hollowed out the loaf of bread to make a bowl for the soup.
hollow out [food] — cooking context
- hollow out
- hollow a pumpkin
- hollow a log
- hollow a cavity
- hollow inside
- fill
to put material into a space; the opposite of removing the inside
Grammar Patterns
hollow + object
hollow out + object
hollow + object + out
Usage Note
Very commonly used with the particle 'out' to form the phrasal verb 'hollow out'. The particle can split: 'hollow the pumpkin out' or 'hollow out the pumpkin' — both are correct.
Common Mistakes
2. to create or form a three-dimensional shape by removing interior material — for
to create or form a three-dimensional shape by removing interior material — for example, carving a dish from a block of wood or cutting a space into a cliff face.
The artist hollowed a small bowl from a single piece of oak wood.
hollow + shaped object + from + material
Wren hollowed out a space in the cliff to make a small shelter for hikers.
hollow out + a space — creating a cavity for a purpose
The carpenter hollowed a groove along the edge of the board to fit the glass panel.
Pim hollowed a shallow basin from the clay block to use as an ashtray.
hollow + object + from — forming by removing material
- hollow a bowl
- hollow a dish
- hollow a groove
- hollow a space
- hollow a channel
- mould
to shape by adding material to a form, rather than removing it
Grammar Patterns
hollow + object + from/in
hollow out + object
Usage Note
This sense overlaps with sense 1 but is distinguished by its focus on the finished shape or object as the direct object (e.g., 'hollow a bowl') rather than the material the material being removed (e.g., 'hollow a pumpkin').
3. to gradually become empty inside or develop a cavity over time, usually because
to gradually become empty inside or develop a cavity over time, usually because of natural processes like decay, erosion, or growth.
Over centuries, the sandstone cliff slowly hollowed from wind and rain.
hollow + from + cause — intransitive pattern
The stem of the bamboo plant hollows naturally as it reaches full height.
The heart of the old oak had hollowed so much that only the bark held it up.
hollow — intransitive process over time
Some plant stems hollow as they grow, creating tubes for water to travel through.
- hollow over time
- hollow from within
- hollow with age
- slowly hollow
- erode
describes gradual wearing away; 'erode' is broader and includes surface-level wearing, while 'hollow' is specifically from the inside out
- solidify
to become firm and solid; the opposite of becoming hollow
Grammar Patterns
hollow + (over time)
hollow + from [cause]
Usage Note
Intransitive — no direct object. The subject becomes hollow through a natural or gradual process. This sense is much less common than the transitive uses (senses 1 and 2).
Common Mistakes
hollow out
phrasal verbto remove the contents from the inside of something, or to create a space inside something by removing material.
Pim hollowed out the avocado and filled it with shrimp salad.
Over thousands of years, the river hollowed out a deep channel through the rock.
ring hollow
idiomto sound false or insincere — used when someone's words or claims do not seem believable or honest.
His explanations rang hollow to everyone who had seen the evidence.
The company's apology rang hollow after they raised prices the next week.
to defeat someone very thoroughly in a competition or argument.
Paloma beat the rest of the runners hollow in the final race.
Our team was beaten hollow in the debate — we had no good answers.
Word family
- hollowlyadverbC1
- hollownessnounC1
- hollowedadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/3
These words all describe things that lack real substance, but each focuses on a different flaw. 'Hollow' emphasises the contrast between what something appears to be and what it actually is — a hollow promise sounds good on the surface but has no real intention behind it. 'Empty' is broader and less dramatic; an empty gesture is simply without effect, while a hollow one feels deliberately deceptive. 'Meaningless' focuses on the lack of purpose or significance — a meaningless ceremony could be well-intentioned but pointless. 'Superficial' describes something that only attends to surface-level details while ignoring deeper issues. 'Vain' adds a note of futility: a vain attempt is one that cannot succeed. For example: 'The minister's hollow apology angered the victims more than her silence would have.' 'His complaint was meaningless because he never suggested a fix.' 'The report was superficial and failed to address the real causes of the problem.'
Common collocations
Nouns
- hollow tree
- hollow log
- hollow sound
- hollow promise
- hollow victory
- hollow cheeks
- hollow eyes
Adverbs
- deeply hollow
- completely hollow
- strangely hollow
- partially hollow
- curiously hollow
Phrases
- ring hollow
- beat hollow
- hollow concrete block
- hollow-point bullet
- hollow out
Prepositions
- hollow in
- hollow beneath
- hollow inside
- hollow out of
- hollow from
Etymology
'Hollow' comes from Old English 'holh' (a hollow place or cavity), which is related to 'hol' (hole). The word has cousins in other Germanic languages — Old High German 'hulwa' (a pit or hollow) and Old Norse 'holr' (hole, hollow). The adjective sense appeared in early English to describe anything that is empty inside. Over time, the meaning expanded from physical emptiness (a hollow tree) to abstract emptiness (a hollow promise), a natural shift that happened by the 1500s.