1
2
3
4

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vacant contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vacant are blank, empty, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

When can blank be used instead of vacant?

While in some cases nearly identical to vacant, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When would empty be a good substitute for vacant?

In some situations, the words empty and vacant are roughly equivalent. However, empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When is vacuous a more appropriate choice than vacant?

While the synonyms vacuous and vacant are close in meaning, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When is it sensible to use void instead of vacant?

The words void and vacant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vacant Three days later, Fletcher’s body was found behind a vacant complex 20 minutes from where she was abducted. Karina Tsui, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024 Adams and Williams seek to take the seat left vacant by term-limited Freeman. Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024 In California, San Francisco and Berkeley approved taxes on vacant properties in 2022. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024 The roughly 165,000-square-foot warehouse store will rest on the site of several vacant Westgate stores, including the former Orchard Supply Hardware. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vacant 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacant
Adjective
  • Tim Rice’s lyrics paint a vivid portrait of how vulnerable people can be drawn to an evil that promises them prosperity, no matter how empty that promise may be. 15.
    Barry Levitt, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Footage of the interaction between Penny and Neely, which began about 2 minutes after the incident started, captures Penny holding Neely for about 4 minutes and 57 seconds on a relatively empty train with a couple of passengers nearby.
    Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Juan Leo Salazar is on a mission to awaken a dormant political power in Maryland — the state’s conservative-leaning Latinos.
    Robert Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
  • The goal is to turn the dormant theater into an economic engine for South Dallas, Forest Forward president Elizabeth Wattley tells Axios.
    Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi, Axios, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Seconds later, the clown pulled out a gun and shot Warren in the mouth at point blank range.
    KC Baker, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Six world-class interior designers were given a blank canvas to create their interiors, and the results are strikingly different, from Luca Dini’s waterfall through the superyacht’s two-level beach club to the large picture windows on the interior salon by Francois Zuretti.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
  • The medication has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and sound and cause users to feel devoid from pain and out of control of their surroundings.
    Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2023
Adjective
  • Turn a late off week that drew groans early in the season into a force for good, a re-set, and a launching pad into the final four games.
    Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2024
  • Part of the balloon broke off in the collision, injuring a 10-year-old girl and an off-duty police officer in the crowd.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • McQueen spends half an hour dispassionately showing us the grimness of HMP Maze, a Troubles-era warehouse for enemies of the British state on a disused airfield.
    IndieWire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
  • In his first five night-shift stints as watchman at a disused ’80s amusement park/arcade mall — Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Place — Mike stares glaze-eyed at security monitors, then drifts into violent 3-D incidents, His circumstance incarnates the hell that Morrissey sings about.
    Armond White, National Review, 1 Nov. 2023
Adjective
  • Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.
    Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
  • The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.
    Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • The jacket’s material comes from 12-year-old cloth sourced from a Scottish mill, excess fabric that was stored unused in a warehouse.
    John Kell, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
  • According to a probable cause affidavit that was unsealed in 2022, investigators tied Allen to the scene with an unused .40 caliber round that was found next to German and Williams’ bodies.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near vacant

Cite this Entry

“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacant. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on vacant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!