Hollow Definition

hŏlō
hollowed, hollowest, hollowing, hollows, hollower
adjective
hollowest, hollower
Having an empty space, or only air, within it; having a cavity inside; not solid.
Webster's New World
Depressed below the surrounding surface; shaped like a cup or bowl; concave.
Webster's New World
Deeply set; sunken.
Hollow cheeks.
Webster's New World
Without substance or character.
A hollow person.
American Heritage
Empty or worthless; not real or meaningful.
Hollow praise.
Webster's New World
noun
hollows
A hollow formation or place; cavity; hole.
Webster's New World
An indented or concave surface or area.
American Heritage
A small, sheltered valley.
Webster's New World
A void; an emptiness.
A hollow in one's life.
American Heritage
verb
hollowed, hollowing, hollows
To make or become hollow.
Webster's New World
To scoop or form by making concave.
Hollow out a nest in the sand.
American Heritage
To become hollow or empty.
American Heritage

To urge or call by shouting; to hollo.

Wiktionary
adverb
In a hollow manner.
Webster's New World
interjection

Alternative form of hollo.

Wiktionary
idiom
beat (all) hollow
  • to defeat thoroughly or surpass by far
Webster's New World
hollow out
  • to make hollow
  • to make by hollowing
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Hollow

Noun

Singular:
hollow
Plural:
hollows

Adjective

Base Form:
hollow
Comparative:
hollower
Superlative:
hollowest

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Hollow

Origin of Hollow

  • Middle English holw, holh, from Old English hol (“hollow”), from Proto-Germanic *hulaz (compare Dutch hol, German hohl, Danish hul), from Proto-Indo-European *k̑ówHilo- (compare Albanian thellë (“deep”), Ancient Greek κοῖλος (koĩlos, “hollow”)', Avestan [script?] (sūra)[script?], Sanskrit [script?] (kulyā, “brook, ditch”)[script?]), from *k̑ówH- (“cavity”). More at cave.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English holwe, holowe from holgh hole, burrow (influenced by hole hollow) from Old English holh kel-1 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English holow, earlier holgh, from Old English holh (“a hollow”)', from hol (“hollow (adj.)”). See above.

    From Wiktionary

  • Compare holler.

    From Wiktionary

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