Similes for Empty are vivid expressions that help express deep feelings of loneliness, silence, or absence in a way that feels relatable to the reader. For example, “Her voice echoed through the room, as empty as a forgotten shell,” shows how similes can paint vivid pictures in the mind and make your message feel more emotional.
While in a poem or story, similes bring emotional weight to the idea of being bare, drained, or hollow. They make it easier to talk about emptiness—both physical and emotional—through fewer but stronger expressions.
A vacuous, blank space or a clean, emptied corner can reflect more than just the setting—it shows mood. These comparisons help you describe a quiet moment with clarity and depth. This article offers a new way to see and write emptiness that goes beyond the surface.
1. As empty as a balloon without air
Meaning: Lacking energy, purpose, or substance.
The proposal felt as empty as a balloon with no air—hollow and incomplete.
After hearing the news, I felt like a popped balloon—totally empty.
Poetry:
A crinkled skin once flying high,
Now grounded low beneath the sky.
(Inspired by William Blake’s tone in “The Fly”)
Read Also: Top Similes and Metaphors for Loneliness
2. As empty as a cupboard in winter
Meaning: Completely lacking necessities or comfort.
The house stood as empty as a cupboard left bare in winter.
My fridge is empty—like a winter cupboard before payday!
Poetry:
The shelves are cold, the echo clear,
No food, no warmth, no comfort near.
(Inspired by Robert Frost’s “The Death of the Hired Man”)
Read Also: Top 25+ Similes for Tired: With Meaning and Examples
3. As empty as a ghost town at dusk
Meaning: Abandoned, silent, and eerie.
The building was as empty as a ghost town swallowed by time.
At sunset, this mall is as dead as a ghost town.
Poetry:
Wind whispers through forgotten street,
Empty echoes where hearts don’t meet.
(Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic mood)
Read Also: Top 25+Similes for Fast: Meaning and Examples
4. As empty as a broken promise
Meaning: Devoid of meaning; hurtfully unfulfilled.
His apology felt as empty as a promise never kept.
She said she’d be there, but didn’t—just another empty promise.
Poetry:
Words once bright now dull with rust,
Empty hearts and shattered trust.
(Inspired by Christina Rossetti’s “Remember”)
Read Also: 25+ Fun Similes for Lazy Moments
5. As empty as a sky without stars
Meaning: Lacking beauty, hope, or inspiration.
A starless sky made the night feel completely empty.
It felt off—like the sky forgot its stars.
Poetry:
The velvet dome so vast and bare,
Not one bright hope to glimmer there.
(Inspired by Sara Teasdale’s celestial themes)
Read Also: Top 25 Similes for Happiness: With Meaning and Examples
6. As empty as a wallet after payday
Meaning: Drained of resources, especially money.
My savings account is as empty as a wallet by the month’s end.
Bought one coffee and now I’m broke—wallet’s empty!
Poetry:
A single coin, a hollow ring,
No jingle left, no golden spring.
(Inspired by Shel Silverstein’s playful tone)
Read Also: As Brave As: 30 Similes for Brave to Inspire Courage
7. As empty as a nest in autumn
Meaning: Quiet and abandoned after once being full of life.
The old house was as empty as a bird’s nest after migration.
The kids moved out and now it feels like an autumn nest—quiet and still.
Poetry:
Once chirps and wings, now twigs remain,
Emptiness like autumn rain.
(Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s nature poems)
8. As empty as a theater after the final bow
Meaning: Full of echoes and memories, but now silent.
The auditorium felt as empty as a stage after the curtain call.
After everyone left, the place felt weird—like a theater with no show.
Poetry:
No claps, no cheers, no spotlight glare,
Just silent seats and folded air.
(Inspired by T.S. Eliot’s tone in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”)
9. As empty as a diary with blank pages
Meaning: Untouched, unused, or yet to be filled.
Her year felt as empty as a diary never opened.
I haven’t written in months—my journal’s totally empty.
Poetry:
No ink, no tears, no tale begun,
Just waiting lines beneath the sun.
(Inspired by Anne Bradstreet’s introspective tone)
10. As empty as a classroom in July
Meaning: Lifeless, still, and without its usual energy.
The campus looked as empty as a classroom on summer break.
Walked past the school today—totally empty, July-style.
Poetry:
No chatter floats, no chalk to fall,
Just silent walls and echoed hall.
(Inspired by Langston Hughes’ rhythmic minimalism)
11. As empty as a stage with no actors
Meaning: Devoid of life, energy, or presence.
The auditorium stood as empty as a stage without actors—silent and motionless.
After everyone left, the party felt like a stage with no show.
Poetry:
No voice to echo, no feet to pace,
Just curtains drawn on vacant space.
(Inspired by Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage”)
12. As empty as a shell on the shore
Meaning: Hollowed out, once full but now silent.
Her smile was as empty as a seashell, beautiful but hollow.
He looked fine, but he was like a shell on the beach—empty inside.
Poetry:
The ocean left, its whisper gone,
The shell remains but not the song.
(Inspired by John Masefield’s “Sea-Fever”)
13. As empty as a calendar in January
Meaning: Fresh, blank, and untouched by plans.
As empty as a January calendar, the new year stretched before her.
Nothing planned yet—my January is wide open.
Poetry:
No mark, no note, no scribbled day,
Just space for dreams to find their way.
(Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s reflective voice)
14. As empty as a song without melody
meaning: Lacking beauty, emotion, or meaning.
The speech was well-written, but as empty as a song with no tune.
The lyrics were okay, but without music, it just felt empty.
Poetry:
The words may rhyme but never sing,
If melody forgets to cling.
(Inspired by Sara Teasdale’s musical tone)
15. As empty as a heart that has stopped loving
Meaning: Emotionally cold or disconnected.
His tone was as empty as a heart that no longer feels.
She sounded done—like someone whose heart just isn’t in it anymore.
Poetry:
No flame to warm, no pulse to stir,
Just silence where love used to purr.
(Inspired by Christina Rossetti’s love poems)
16. As empty as a swing without a child
Meaning: Nostalgic, lonely, and quiet after joy has passed.
The park felt as empty as a swing gently swaying alone.
Just swings creaking in the wind, the playground’s quiet.
Poetry:
The laughter gone, the ropes now still,
A hollow hush upon the hill.
(Inspired by William Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality”)
17. As empty as a bottle drained of tears
Meaning: Completely exhausted emotionally.
She felt as empty as a bottle poured out in grief.
I cried everything out—I’m a dry bottle now.
Poetry:
The glass once filled with sorrow’s tide,
Now stands as dry as hollow pride.
(Inspired by Anne Sexton’s confessional style)
18. As empty as a house with no laughter
Meaning: Lacking warmth, joy, or human connection.
The building was beautiful but as empty as a house without laughter.
The place looked nice, but felt weird—like no one ever laughed there.
Poetry:
The rooms are neat, the lights still gleam,
Yet joy is lost like half a dream.
(Inspired by Langston Hughes’ social tone)
19. As empty as a church at midnight
Meaning: Solemn, still, and reverent—but void of people.
The museum felt as empty as a midnight chapel—quiet and cold.
Spooky quiet—like being in a church when everyone’s gone.
Poetry:
No hymn to float, no candles glow,
Just sacred hush from long ago.
(Inspired by T.S. Eliot’s “Ash-Wednesday”)
20. As empty as a suitcase on return
Meaning: Used and unpacked; once full, now void.
Her expression was as empty as luggage freshly unpacked.
Back from vacation—and my suitcase and soul are both empty.
Poetry:
The trip is done, the zippers still,
Just worn-out clothes and silent will.
(Inspired by Philip Larkin’s realism)
21. As empty as a field after harvest
Meaning: Once full of life, now bare and spent.
Their energy was as empty as farmland stripped for the season.
I feel like a field after harvest—done.
Poetry:
The golden grain no longer grows,
Just tired soil and wind that blows.
(Inspired by Robert Frost’s “After Apple-Picking”)
22. As empty as a drum without a beat
Meaning: Lacking rhythm, vitality, or excitement.
His words sounded as empty as a silent drum.
That party? Like a drum with no music—boring.
Poetry:
No thump, no thrill, no call to move,
Just hollow air with nothing to prove.
(Inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks’ rhythm)
23. As empty as a dream forgotten by morning
Meaning: Fleeting, unclear, and lost quickly.
Her idea vanished, as empty as a fading dream.
I had the best idea last night, but now it’s totally gone.
Poetry:
A spark, a flight, a sleeping sigh,
Then nothing left beneath the sky.
(Inspired by Sylvia Plath’s dream imagery)
24. As empty as footprints after the tide
Meaning: Traces once present are now gone.
Their connection was as empty as washed-away footprints.
We used to be close, but it’s all gone now—like beach prints after waves.
Poetry:
The sand forgets the steps we leave,
As waves erase what hearts achieve.
(Inspired by Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach”)
25. As empty as an inbox on Sunday
Meaning: Still, uneventful, and lacking action.
My schedule was as empty as a quiet inbox over the weekend.
No emails, no plans—just an empty inbox kind of day.
Poetry:
No chime, no ping, no note to send,
Just digital hush without a friend.
(Inspired by the simplicity of Billy Collins)
26. As empty as a soul that gave up hope
Meaning: Deep, emotional emptiness tied to despair.
He looked as empty as a soul long severed from hope.
I’ve never seen her like that—totally hollow inside.
Poetry:
Where once burned dreams, now ashes sleep,
An empty soul too tired to weep.
(Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s melancholy style)
Conclusion:
Exploring similes for empty helps us give shape to feelings of loneliness, loss, or quietness in ways that are relatable and vivid. Phrases like “as empty as a desert highway” or “as hollow as an abandoned house” turn abstract emotions into powerful images.
These expressions enrich your writing—if it’s poetry, storytelling, or a simple caption—by creating an emotional impact through comparison. Use them to add depth and clarity whenever you need to describe something that feels truly void or silent.
