The word “empty” is a whisper from the abyss, a hollow note that resonates in the chambers of the heart, the silence of a room, or the vastness of a sky stripped of stars.
Similes for empty transform this absence into presence, giving shape to what is missing and voice to what is gone.
In this journey through 70 original similes, you’ll discover how emptiness can feel like a drained well, a forgotten melody, or a canvas awaiting its first stroke.
By exploring these comparisons, you’ll learn to articulate voids with poetic precision, turning silence into storytelling.
Empty like a blank page—infinite potential, untouched by ink.” This single simile captures the duality of emptiness: loss and possibility. Use it to evoke silence, longing, or creative anticipation in writing, speech, or reflection.
70 Similes for Empty
1. Empty Like a Drained Well
Meaning: An emptiness that once held depth now echoes with dryness, thirsting for renewal.
In a Sentence: His promises left her heart empty like a drained well, echoing with unkept words.
Other Ways to Say: Hollow like a dried riverbed.
2. Empty Like a Forgotten Room
Meaning: Dust settles in stillness, memories fading like shadows in an abandoned space.
In a Sentence: The house stood empty like a forgotten room, its stories locked behind closed doors.
Other Ways to Say: Vacant like a silent attic.
3. Empty Like a Shattered Vase
Meaning: What once held beauty now lies in fragments, incapable of containing anything.
In a Sentence: Her dreams felt empty like a shattered vase, petals of hope scattered on the floor.
Other Ways to Say: Broken like a cracked bowl.
4. Empty Like a Silent Bell
Meaning: The potential for sound remains, but no vibration stirs the air.
In a Sentence: His laughter rang empty like a silent bell, its joy muted by sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Muted like a stringless harp.
5. Empty Like a Barren Field
Meaning: Once fertile with possibility, now only wind sweeps across lifeless soil.
In a Sentence: Her future stretched empty like a barren field, seeds of ambition yet to sprout.
Other Ways to Say: Desolate like a fallow plain.
Similes for empty turn absence into art. Let’s walk further into the void.
6. Empty Like a Faded Echo
Meaning: A voice once strong now dwindles into nothingness, repeating into silence.
In a Sentence: His apology arrived empty like a faded echo, too late to reach her ears.
Other Ways to Say: Vanishing like a dying whisper.
7. Empty Like a Hollow Tree
Meaning: Outwardly whole, inwardly rotted—life’s core devoured by time.
In a Sentence: His smile was empty like a hollow tree, sturdy yet devoid of heartwood.
Other Ways to Say: Cavernous like a gutted trunk.
8. Empty Like a Cloudless Sky
Meaning: Vast and open, yet stripped of mystery, depth, or promise of rain.
In a Sentence: The afternoon felt empty like a cloudless sky, bright but lacking soul.
Other Ways to Say: Stark like a bleached horizon.
9. Empty Like a Spent Candle
Meaning: Wax melted, wick burned to ash—light and warmth extinguished.
In a Sentence: Her energy burned empty like a spent candle, leaving only smoke behind.
Other Ways to Say: Extinguished like a guttered flame.
10. Empty Like an Unsent Letter
Meaning: Words written but never delivered, emotions sealed in silence.
In a Sentence: His love remained empty like an unsent letter, folded and forgotten.
Other Ways to Say: Undelivered like a sealed envelope.
11. Empty Like a Deserted Shore
Meaning: Waves roll in, but no footprints mark the sand—solitude absolute.
In a Sentence: The beach lay empty like a deserted shore, tides erasing all traces of life.
Other Ways to Say: Abandoned like a lonely coastline.
12. Empty Like a Blank Page
Meaning: Infinite potential, yet untouched—waiting for the first mark of meaning.
In a Sentence: Her mind stared empty like a blank page, thoughts yet to be inked.
Other Ways to Say: Virgin like untouched parchment.
13. Empty Like a Rusted Lock
Meaning: Once securing treasures, now corroded and useless, guarding nothing.
In a Sentence: His secrets rusted empty like a rusted lock, no key could open what was gone.
Other Ways to Say: Corroded like a forgotten latch.
14. Empty Like a Wilted Bloom
Meaning: Petals fallen, fragrance faded—beauty reduced to brittle remnants.
In a Sentence: Her youth felt empty like a wilted bloom, color drained by time.
Other Ways to Say: Faded like a pressed flower.
15. Empty Like a Cold Hearth
Meaning: No fire, no warmth—only ashes where comfort once glowed.
In a Sentence: The home stood empty like a cold hearth, memories chilled to silence.
Other Ways to Say: Ashen like a dead firepit.
Similes for empty give form to absence. Let’s descend deeper.
16. Empty Like a Sunken Ship
Meaning: Once proud and buoyant, now resting in darkness, filled only with water.
In a Sentence: His ambitions sank empty like a sunken ship, treasures lost to the deep.
Other Ways to Say: Submerged like a drowned vessel.
17. Empty Like a Muted String
Meaning: Tension remains, but no vibration—no music, no resonance.
In a Sentence: Her voice fell empty like a muted string, emotion unplucked.
Other Ways to Say: Silent like a slackened chord.
18. Empty Like a Starless Night
Meaning: Darkness without guidance, vast and directionless.
In a Sentence: Grief cloaked her empty like a starless night, no light to follow.
Other Ways to Say: Lightless like a moonless void.
19. Empty Like a Dry Inkwell
Meaning: The tool for creation sits barren, inspiration evaporated.
In a Sentence: His creativity ran empty like a dry inkwell, pen hovering over nothing.
Other Ways to Say: Parched like an exhausted quill.
20. Empty Like a Ghost Town
Meaning: Structures stand, but life has fled—echoes where voices once thrived.
In a Sentence: The city felt empty like a ghost town, windows staring without souls.
Other Ways to Say: Deserted like a forsaken village.
21. Empty Like a Hollow Victory
Meaning: Triumph achieved, yet satisfaction absent—glory without substance.
In a Sentence: His win rang empty like a hollow victory, medal heavy but heart light.
Other Ways to Say: Meaningless like a crown of thorns.
22. Empty Like a Frayed Rope
Meaning: Once strong and binding, now weakened and unable to hold.
In a Sentence: Their bond hung empty like a frayed rope, threads snapping one by one.
Other Ways to Say: Tattered like a torn lifeline.
23. Empty Like a Frozen Lake
Meaning: Surface solid, depth unreachable—life suspended beneath ice.
In a Sentence: His emotions froze empty like a frozen lake, reflection without warmth.
Other Ways to Say: Icy like a sealed pond.
24. Empty Like a Discarded Shell
Meaning: Once a home, now abandoned—beauty without inhabitant.
In a Sentence: Her body moved empty like a discarded shell, spirit washed away by tides.
Other Ways to Say: Abandoned like a hermit crab’s cast-off.
25. Empty Like a Silent Drum
Meaning: The frame waits, but no beat stirs—no rhythm, no pulse.
In a Sentence: His passion beat empty like a silent drum, rhythm lost to apathy.
Other Ways to Say: Still like an unstruck gong.
Similes for empty echo the shape of loss. Let’s keep listening.
26. Empty Like a Barren Womb
Meaning: The cradle of life lies fallow, potential unrealized.
In a Sentence: Her dreams lay empty like a barren womb, longing unfulfilled.
Other Ways to Say: Fruitless like a seedless garden.
27. Empty Like a Closed Book
Meaning: Stories within, but pages sealed—knowledge inaccessible.
In a Sentence: His mind shut empty like a closed book, wisdom locked away.
Other Ways to Say: Sealed like an unread tome.
28. Empty Like a Windless Sail
Meaning: Cloth hangs limp, directionless—no force to propel forward.
In a Sentence: Hope dangled empty like a windless sail, ship adrift in calm.
Other Ways to Say: Still like a becalmed mast.
29. Empty Like a Cracked Mirror
Meaning: Reflection distorted, truth fragmented—self-image shattered.
In a Sentence: Her confidence cracked empty like a cracked mirror, pieces too sharp to hold.
Other Ways to Say: Fractured like a broken glass.
30. Empty Like a Fading Footprint
Meaning: Presence once marked, now erased by time or tide.
In a Sentence: His influence faded empty like a fading footprint, sand smoothing over memory.
Other Ways to Say: Erased like a washed-away trace.
31. Empty Like a Dry Riverbed
Meaning: Once a flowing lifeline, now cracked earth craving water.
In a Sentence: Her joy dried empty like a dry riverbed, thirsting for laughter.
Other Ways to Say: Parched like a sunbaked channel.
32. Empty Like a Silent Theater
Meaning: Seats wait, stage dark—no audience, no performance.
In a Sentence: The hall stood empty like a silent theater, curtains drawn on drama.
Other Ways to Say: Vacant like an unlit stage.
33. Empty Like a Hollow Promise
Meaning: Words spoken with weight, but substance absent—trust eroded.
In a Sentence: His vow rang empty like a hollow promise, echo without action.
Other Ways to Say: False like a broken oath.
34. Empty Like a Leafless Branch
Meaning: Life once flourished, now stripped bare by season or storm.
In a Sentence: Her spirit stretched empty like a leafless branch, waiting for spring.
Other Ways to Say: Bare like a winter bough.
35. Empty Like a Forgotten Song
Meaning: Melody lingers in memory, but notes no longer played.
In a Sentence: Childhood hummed empty like a forgotten song, lyrics lost to time.
Other Ways to Say: Faded like a half-remembered tune.
Similes for empty sculpt silence into shape. Let’s carve further.
36. Empty Like a Rusted Gate
Meaning: Entrance once welcoming, now seized shut—access denied.
In a Sentence: Opportunity creaked empty like a rusted gate, hinges frozen by neglect.
Other Ways to Say: Seized like a jammed portal.
37. Empty Like a Cold Cup
Meaning: Vessel shaped for warmth, now chilled and unused.
In a Sentence: Comfort sat empty like a cold cup, tea long gone stale.
Other Ways to Say: Chilled like an untouched mug.
38. Empty Like a Shadowless Wall
Meaning: No light casts form, no depth—flat and featureless.
In a Sentence: His presence loomed empty like a shadowless wall, substance absent.
Other Ways to Say: Flat like a sunless surface.
39. Empty Like a Drifting Leaf
Meaning: Detached from source, carried by wind—direction without root.
In a Sentence: Purpose floated empty like a drifting leaf, autumn’s discard.
Other Ways to Say: Aimless like a fallen petal.
40. Empty Like a Sealed Jar
Meaning: Container intact, but contents removed—potential preserved in vacuum.
In a Sentence: Her talents sat empty like a sealed jar, preserves of what could be.
Other Ways to Say: Vacant like a corked bottle.
41. Empty Like a Muffled Cry
Meaning: Emotion rises but sound is stifled—pain without release.
In a Sentence: Grief rose empty like a muffled cry, throat choked by silence.
Other Ways to Say: Stifled like a swallowed scream.
42. Empty Like a Faded Flag
Meaning: Symbol once proud, now tattered and colorless—allegiance forgotten.
In a Sentence: Loyalty hung empty like a faded flag, stripes bleached by sun.
Other Ways to Say: Tattered like a worn banner.
43. Empty Like a Still Pendulum
Meaning: Motion ceased, time unmarked—rhythm lost.
In a Sentence: Motivation swung empty like a still pendulum, clock frozen mid-tick.
Other Ways to Say: Halted like a stopped clock.
44. Empty Like a Dry Sponge
Meaning: Capacity to absorb remains, but moisture gone—thirst without fulfillment.
In a Sentence: Her empathy felt empty like a dry sponge, craving tears to soak.
Other Ways to Say: Parched like a dehydrated cloth.
45. Empty Like a Closed Fist
Meaning: Grip tight, but nothing held—power without purpose.
In a Sentence: Anger clenched empty like a closed fist, knuckles white around air.
Other Ways to Say: Grasping like a void hand.
Similes for empty are lanterns in the dark. Let’s illuminate more voids.
46. Empty Like a Sunken Chest
Meaning: Treasure box submerged, riches claimed by the deep.
In a Sentence: His fortune lay empty like a sunken chest, gold dissolved in salt.
Other Ways to Say: Plundered like a raided vault.
47. Empty Like a Muted Horn
Meaning: Instrument poised, but breath withheld—no call, no summons.
In a Sentence: Courage sounded empty like a muted horn, battle cry unblown.
Other Ways to Say: Silent like an unplayed trumpet.
48. Empty Like a Barren Cradle
Meaning: Rocking gently, but no child stirs—nurture without life.
In a Sentence: Hope rocked empty like a barren cradle, lullabies unsung.
Other Ways to Say: Childless like a silent nursery.
49. Empty Like a Frayed Thread
Meaning: Connection weakened, fabric unraveling—bond near severance.
In a Sentence: Friendship dangled empty like a frayed thread, one tug from breaking.
Other Ways to Say: Weakened like a thinning strand.
50. Empty Like a Cold Forge
Meaning: Fire dead, metal unshaped—creation stalled.
In a Sentence: Inspiration cooled empty like a cold forge, hammer idle.
Other Ways to Say: Quenched like a dead smithy.
51. Empty Like a Silent Quill
Meaning: Feather poised over parchment, but ink dried—words unborn.
In a Sentence: His story wrote empty like a silent quill, tale trapped in nib.
Other Ways to Say: Still like an uninked pen.
52. Empty Like a Deserted Nest
Meaning: Woven with care, now abandoned—eggs hatched or lost.
In a Sentence: Family felt empty like a deserted nest, fledglings flown.
Other Ways to Say: Vacant like an empty bower.
53. Empty Like a Faded Scar
Meaning: Wound healed, but memory lingers—pain without presence.
In a Sentence: Hurt remained empty like a faded scar, mark without ache.
Other Ways to Say: Healed like a closed wound.
54. Empty Like a Still Windmill
Meaning: Blades unmoving, grain unground—power harnessed in vain.
In a Sentence: Progress stood empty like a still windmill, sails caught in calm.
Other Ways to Say: Idle like a becalmed vane.
55. Empty Like a Hollow Reed
Meaning: Tube for music or support, but core rotted—function lost.
In a Sentence: His voice piped empty like a hollow reed, flute without breath.
Other Ways to Say: Cavernous like a brittle stalk.
Similes for empty whisper what words cannot. Let’s give silence a voice.
56. Empty Like a Dry Tear Duct
Meaning: Grief remains, but tears exhausted—sorrow without release.
In a Sentence: Mourning ran empty like a dry tear duct, eyes burning without drops.
Other Ways to Say: Parched like a wept-out gland.
57. Empty Like a Closed Gate
Meaning: Path blocked, journey halted—destination unreachable.
In a Sentence: Opportunity slammed empty like a closed gate, latch fallen.
Other Ways to Say: Barred like a locked portal.
58. Empty Like a Faded Tattoo
Meaning: Ink once bold, now blurred—story etched but illegible.
In a Sentence: Memory inked empty like a faded tattoo, lines softened by time.
Other Ways to Say: Blurred like a worn marking.
59. Empty Like a Silent Clock
Meaning: Hands frozen, moments uncounted—time without progression.
In a Sentence: Urgency ticked empty like a silent clock, deadline unobserved.
Other Ways to Say: Stopped like a wound-down mechanism.
60. Empty Like a Barren Orchard
Meaning: Trees stand, but no fruit hangs—harvest without yield.
In a Sentence: Effort grew empty like a barren orchard, branches heavy with nothing.
Other Ways to Say: Fruitless like a blighted grove.
61. Empty Like a Muted Symphony
Meaning: Score written, but instruments still—music unperformed.
In a Sentence: Celebration played empty like a muted symphony, notes trapped in silence.
Other Ways to Say: Hushed like an unconducted orchestra.
62. Empty Like a Cold Cauldron
Meaning: Potion brewed, but fire out—magic cooled.
In a Sentence: Passion bubbled empty like a cold cauldron, brew gone flat.
Other Ways to Say: Quenched like a dead potion.
63. Empty Like a Faded Banner
Meaning: Colors once vivid, now washed out—cause without champion.
In a Sentence: Ideals waved empty like a faded banner, wind tearing at threads.
Other Ways to Say: Tattered like a battle-worn standard.
64. Empty Like a Still Fountain
Meaning: Water poised to flow, but pump silent—refreshment withheld.
In a Sentence: Generosity trickled empty like a still fountain, basin dry.
Other Ways to Say: Stilled like a capped spring.
65. Empty Like a Hollow Crown
Meaning: Symbol of power, but authority absent—rule without reign.
In a Sentence: Leadership sat empty like a hollow crown, gold without governance.
Other Ways to Say: Vacant like a throne unclaimed.
Similes for empty are bridges over the abyss. Let’s cross to the end.
66. Empty Like a Drained Battery
Meaning: Energy spent, spark gone—function without fuel.
In a Sentence: Motivation died empty like a drained battery, light flickering out.
Other Ways to Say: Depleted like a flat cell.
67. Empty Like a Silent Grave
Meaning: Rest eternal, but voice extinguished—story buried.
In a Sentence: Legacy lay empty like a silent grave, epitaph unwritten.
Other Ways to Say: Muted like a sealed tomb.
68. Empty Like a Barren Canvas
Meaning: Surface pristine, but image absent—art uncreated.
In a Sentence: Vision stretched empty like a barren canvas, brush untouched.
Other Ways to Say: Blank like an unpainted frame.
69. Empty Like a Faded Constellation
Meaning: Stars once mapped, now dim—guidance lost to night.
In a Sentence: Direction vanished empty like a faded constellation, sky unreadable.
Other Ways to Say: Dimmed like a lost star chart.
70. Empty Like a Whispered Void
Meaning: Absence speaks softly, yet profoundly—nothingness with presence.
In a Sentence: Solitude breathed empty like a whispered void, silence louder than sound.
Other Ways to Say: Hushed like an unspoken absence.
Exercise to Practice: Engage with Similes for Empty
Part 1: Fill-in-the-Blank Sentences
- Her heart echoed similes for empty like a __ that once held laughter.
- The room stood as vacant as a __, dust dancing in forgotten sunbeams.
- Similes for empty paint absence like a __ awaiting its first stroke.
- His words fell flat, empty like a __ with no breath to play.
- Silence wrapped the hall, similes for empty like a __ unstruck by time.
Answer Key:
- Hollow drum
- Ghost town
- Blank canvas
- Silent flute
- Stopped clock
Part 2: Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Which simile best reflects the essence of similes for empty?
A) A overflowing river
B) A blank page
C) A roaring fire
D) A crowded market
Answer: B) A blank page - What does “empty like a drained well” suggest about loss?
A) It is temporary and shallow
B) It is deep and unfillable
C) It is loud and chaotic
D) It is warm and comforting
Answer: B) It is deep and unfillable - How does “empty like a forgotten room” evoke abandonment?
A) It suggests noise and clutter
B) It implies stillness and dust
C) It hints at light and warmth
D) It conveys motion and life
Answer: B) It implies stillness and dust - Which simile captures the idea of potential unrealized?
A) Empty like a spent candle
B) Empty like a blank page
C) Empty like a shattered vase
D) Empty like a cold hearth
Answer: B) Empty like a blank page - What does “empty like a whispered void” imply about silence?
A) It is deafening and oppressive
B) It is soft yet profound
C) It is bright and revealing
D) It is fleeting and superficial
Answer: B) It is soft yet profound
FAQ Section
Q: How do similes for empty help us express absence?
A: Similes for empty give shape to what’s missing, turning silence, loss, or potential into vivid, relatable imagery.
Q: Can similes for empty be used in poetry?
A: Absolutely—they add depth to themes of loneliness, loss, or anticipation, making the intangible poetic.
Q: Why are similes for empty powerful in storytelling?
A: They evoke mood and atmosphere, allowing readers to feel the weight of absence without direct explanation.
Q: How do similes for empty differ from metaphors?
A: Similes compare using “like” or “as,” offering gentle bridges to understanding emptiness; metaphors declare identity.
Q: Where can I use similes for empty in daily life?
A: In journaling, conversations, or creative writing—to articulate feelings of longing, stillness, or renewal.
Conclusion
Emptiness is not merely the absence of fullness—it is a canvas, a silence, a breath held before the note. These 70 similes for empty transform the void into a vessel: a drained well thirsting for rain, a blank page craving ink, a cold hearth awaiting flame. Each comparison invites us to linger in the hush, to trace the outline of what’s gone, and to imagine what might fill the space. In naming emptiness, we honor its power—to reflect, to renew, to rebirth. Let these similes echo in your words, your art, your heart. Explore more similes and reflections in our related guides below.
