Hollow — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb adverb /ˈhä-(ˌ)lō/ hol·low

Meaning & Definition of Hollow

Hollow (adjective)

  1. having an indentation or inward curve, concave, sunken
  2. having an unfilled or hollowed-out space within
  3. lacking in real value, sincerity, or substance, false, meaningless

Hollow (noun)

  1. an unfilled space, cavity, hole
  2. a depressed or low part of a surface; especially, a small valley or basin

Hollow (verb)

  1. to remove the inside of, to make hollow
  2. to form by removing the inside of something, to form by making something hollow —usually used with out
  3. to become hollow

Hollow (adverb)

  1. so as to have a hollow sound, in a way that reflects a lack of real value, sincerity, or substance
  2. completely, thoroughly —often used with all

Hollow (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. curved inward

    "there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping"

    similar: concave, dented, depressed, dished, indented, recessed, sunken
    related: alveolar, cavernous, crescentic, cuplike, cupped, cuppy, recurved, dimpled, pockmarked, compressed, condensed, contracted, diminished, reduced
    opposite: bulging, cambered, convex, protruding, protrusive, protuberant
    near: ballooning, bloated, blown up, bulbous, distended, enlarged, expanded, extended, inflated, jutting, projecting, puffed, puffy, risen, swollen, domed, global, globular, round, rounded, spherical

Hollow (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a sunken area forming a separate space

    "made a little hollow in her mound of mashed potatoes and filled it with gravy"

    similar: cavity, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hole, indentation, indenture, pit, recess
    related: burrow, cave, cavern, ditch, excavation, furrow, groove, gutter, trench, trough, basin, bowl, valley, alcove, cleft, niche, nook, opening, socket, alveolus, dimple, gouge, impression, imprint, notch, pocket, borehole, chuckhole, crater, posthole, pothole, sinkhole, wallow, water hole, well, abyss, chasm, gulf, vacuity, vacuum, void
    opposite: bulge, camber, convexity, jut, projection, protrusion, protuberance
    near: hill, mound, rise, bump, bunch, hump, lump, pimple, swell, swelling, tumor

  2. an area of lowland between hills or mountains

    "a quaint village nestled in a hollow among green hills"

    similar: dale, dene (British), vale, valley
    related: canyon, combe (British), dell, depression, dingle, glen, gorge, gulch, gully, kloof (South African), ravine, rift valley, basin, bowl
    near: alp, mount, mountain, peak, height, mountaintop, pinnacle, summit, plateau, tableland

Hollow (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in excavate, groove

    similar: burrow (into), excavate, gouge, groove, penetrate, break, cut, gash, notch, rend, rupture, slash, slit, split, poke, prick, prickle, broach, tap, bore, drill, hole, perforate, pierce, punch, puncture, riddle
    opposite: fill, patch, plug, seal

Related Entry: Hollow (out) (verb)

Hollow (out) is a different word from Hollow. The synonyms below are for hollow (out), not for hollow.

  1. as in shovel, excavate

    similar: excavate, scoop (out), shovel
    opposite: block, bung, dam, fill, pack, plug, stop, stuff, choke, clog, close (off), clot, congest, jam, obstruct, occlude, caulk, chink, seal

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hollow

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hollow:

British: dene
concave, dented, depressed, dished, indented, recessed, sunken, cavity, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hole, indentation, indenture, pit, recess, dale, vale, valley, burrow (into), excavate, gouge, groove, penetrate, break, cut, gash, notch, rend, rupture, slash, slit, split, poke, prick, prickle, broach, tap, bore

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hollow

Words with the opposite meaning of Hollow:

bulging, cambered, convex, protruding, protrusive, protuberant, bulge, camber, convexity, jut, projection, protrusion, protuberance, fill, patch, plug, seal

Related Words for Hollow

alveolar, cavernous, crescentic, cuplike, cupped, cuppy, recurved, dimpled, pockmarked, compressed, condensed, contracted, diminished, reduced, burrow, cave, cavern, ditch, excavation, furrow, gutter, trench, trough, basin, bowl, alcove, cleft, niche, nook, opening

Near Antonyms of Hollow

ballooning, bloated, blown up, bulbous, distended, enlarged, expanded, extended, inflated, jutting, projecting, puffed, puffy, risen, swollen, domed, global, globular, round, rounded, spherical, hill, mound, rise, bump, bunch, hump, lump, pimple, swell

Word Forms of Hollow

Inflections: hollower, hollowest, hollows, hollowed, hollowing

Derived words: hollowly (adverb), hollowness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Hollow

Middle English holgh, holugh, holwe, formally identical with holgh hollow:2, with adjectival meaning apparently after hol, holle "hollow, sunken," going back to Old English hol hole:1

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hollow

Words & Phrases Containing Hollow

hollow out, have a hollow ring, in the hollow of one's hand, ring hollow

Frequently Asked Questions about Hollow

What does "Hollow" mean?

"Hollow" means having an indentation or inward curve, concave, sunken. As an an adjective, a noun, a verb and an adverb, it is defined as: having an indentation or inward curve, concave, sunken. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hollow"?

Other words for "Hollow" include concave, dented, depressed, dished, indented, recessed, sunken and cavity. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hollow" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hollow"?

There are 109 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hollow". Common alternatives include concave, dented, depressed, dished, indented, recessed, sunken, cavity, concavity and dent.

What is the opposite of "Hollow"?

Antonyms of "Hollow" include bulging, cambered, convex, protruding, protrusive, protuberant, bulge and camber. Near antonyms include ballooning, bloated, blown up and bulbous.

How do you use "Hollow" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hollow" in a sentence: "there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping"; "made a little hollow in her mound of mashed potatoes and filled it with gravy"; "a quaint village nestled in a hollow among green hills".

Is "Hollow" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hollow" can be used as an adjective, a noun, a verb and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Hollow" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Hollow" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Hollow"?

"Hollow" is pronounced /ˈhä-(ˌ)lō/ and divided into syllables as hol·low.