Similes for Empty That Transform Any Description

Here are some quick, vivid similies for empty you can use right away: as empty as a hollow drum, as empty as a forgotten well, as empty as a silent street, as empty as a drained cup, and as empty as a broken shell.
Below, you’ll find 35 creative similes, each with clear meanings, quotes, and examples to elevate your writing.

Similes are beautiful bridges in language — they connect what we know with what we feel. A simile is a comparison using “as” or “like” to paint ideas more vividly, such as “as quiet as snow” or “like a fading whisper.” These figurative comparisons help writers, students, and anyone expressing emotions create stronger images in the reader’s mind.

In this article, we explore 35 expressive similies for empty — each with a clear meaning, a creative quote, and practical usage examples. Whether you’re describing loneliness, silence, absence, emotional numbness, or a physical void, you’ll find similes that bring your writing to life.

Let’s dive into rich, imaginative language designed to support your storytelling, poems, essays, or creative writing projects.

1. As Empty as a Hollow Drum

Meaning: Describes something that feels completely vacant or echoing.
Quote: “Her heart felt as empty as a hollow drum, ringing with memories.”
Examples:

The room was as empty as a hollow drum after everyone left.
His laughter sounded as empty as a hollow drum tonight.
The house echoed like a hollow drum, stripped of warmth.

2. As Empty as a Deserted Road

Meaning: Represents loneliness or total absence of activity.
Quote: “My weekend plans looked as empty as a deserted road.”
Examples:

The hallway remained as empty as a deserted road.
His schedule was suddenly as empty as a deserted road.
The café at dawn felt like a deserted road.

3. As Empty as a Forgotten Well

Meaning: Symbolizes long-lasting emptiness or something drained over time.
Quote: “Hope felt as empty as a forgotten well inside him.”
Examples:

The village well stood as empty as a forgotten well.
Her eyes looked as empty as a forgotten well.
His promises turned as empty as a forgotten well.

4. As Empty as a Silent Street

Meaning: Suggests quietness and lack of life or movement.
Quote: “The city at dawn was as empty as a silent street.”
Examples:

My inbox is as empty as a silent street.
His heart felt as empty as a silent street tonight.
The park remained like a silent street in winter.

5. As Empty as a Drained Cup

Meaning: Shows something thoroughly used up or exhausted.
Quote: “Her energy was as empty as a drained cup after the long day.”
Examples:

The jug sat as empty as a drained cup.
His motivation felt as empty as a drained cup.
The morning mug was as empty as a drained cup.

6. As Empty as a Broken Shell

Meaning: Used for emotional numbness or a hollow exterior.
Quote: “He walked home feeling as empty as a broken shell.”
Examples:

She felt as empty as a broken shell after the loss.
The courtyard looked as empty as a broken shell.
His voice sounded like a broken shell.

7. As Empty as a Moonless Sky

Meaning: Conveys vast emptiness or quiet darkness.
Quote: “Her night felt as empty as a moonless sky.”
Examples:

The field stretched as empty as a moonless sky.
His thoughts were as empty as a moonless sky.
The diary pages looked like a moonless sky.

8. As Empty as Unwritten Pages

Meaning: Symbolizes new beginnings or lack of content.
Quote: “His mind was as empty as unwritten pages.”
Examples:

The notebook lay as empty as unwritten pages.
My ideas felt as empty as unwritten pages today.
Her story began like unwritten pages.

9. As Empty as an Abandoned Chair

Meaning: Represents absence, nostalgia, or vacancy.
Quote: “The porch looked as empty as an abandoned chair.”
Examples:

The classroom felt as empty as an abandoned chair.
His office was as empty as an abandoned chair.
The memory sat like an abandoned chair.

10. As Empty as a Deserted Market

Meaning: Suggests sudden silence in a once-busy place.
Quote: “After the storm, the town was as empty as a deserted market.”
Examples:

The forum felt as empty as a deserted market.
My weekend turned as empty as a deserted market.
The plaza remained like a deserted market.

Similies for Lonely: The Truth No One Tells You

11. As Empty as an Unlit Room

Meaning: Describes darkness combined with emptiness.
Quote: “Her bedroom felt as empty as an unlit room.”
Examples:

The house seemed as empty as an unlit room.
His eyes looked as empty as an unlit room.
The stage waited like an unlit room.

12. As Empty as a Birdless Nest

Meaning: Represents loss or quiet abandonment.
Quote: “The garden felt as empty as a birdless nest.”
Examples:

Her arms felt as empty as a birdless nest.
The window ledge looked as empty as a birdless nest.
His morning felt like a birdless nest.

13. As Empty as a Dry Riverbed

Meaning: Suggests something once full but now barren.
Quote: “His passion felt as empty as a dry riverbed.”
Examples:

The land stretched as empty as a dry riverbed.
My ideas ran as empty as a dry riverbed.
Her emotions lay like a dry riverbed.

14. As Empty as an Abandoned Library

Meaning: Symbolizes silence and absence of life or knowledge.
Quote: “The room echoed as empty as an abandoned library.”
Examples:

The town hall felt as empty as an abandoned library.
Her thoughts were as empty as an abandoned library.
The night felt like an abandoned library.

15. As Empty as a Desert Night

Meaning: Represents quiet vastness and emotional coldness.
Quote: “His chest felt as empty as a desert night.”
Examples:

The beach looked as empty as a desert night.
Her diary was as empty as a desert night.
The office felt like a desert night.

16. As Empty as a Lock Without a Key

Meaning: Describes incompleteness and missing purpose.
Quote: “Her heart felt as empty as a lock without a key.”
Examples:

His weekend was as empty as a lock without a key.
The box seemed as empty as a lock without a key.
Their conversation felt like a lock without a key.

17. As Empty as a Balloon Without Air

Meaning: Symbolizes lack of energy or enthusiasm.
Quote: “He sat there as empty as a balloon without air.”
Examples:

My motivation felt as empty as a balloon without air.
The party room was as empty as a balloon without air.
Her smile looked like a balloon without air.

18. As Empty as a Fading Echo

Meaning: Represents lingering emptiness.
Quote: “Her voice drifted away like a fading echo, empty and hollow.”
Examples:

The hall sounded as empty as a fading echo.
His promises faded as empty as an echo.
The mountain felt like a fading echo.

Examples for Similes Every Student Must Know

19. As Empty as a Bare Shelf

Meaning: Shows physical emptiness or lack of belongings.
Quote: “The kitchen looked as empty as a bare shelf.”
Examples:

His plans were as empty as a bare shelf.
My fridge is as empty as a bare shelf today.
Her notebook remained like a bare shelf.

20. As Empty as a Cold Fireplace

Meaning: Suggests lack of warmth or emotional connection.
Quote: “The living room felt as empty as a cold fireplace.”
Examples:

His heart was as empty as a cold fireplace.
The cabin stayed as empty as a cold fireplace.
Her embrace felt like a cold fireplace.

21. As Empty as a Cloudless Dawn

Meaning: Light, pure emptiness with a sense of clarity.
Quote: “His morning felt as empty as a cloudless dawn.”
Examples:

The sky seemed as empty as a cloudless dawn.
Her thoughts were as empty as a cloudless dawn.
The beach felt like a cloudless dawn.

22. As Empty as a Withered Tree

Meaning: Symbolizes exhaustion or life drained away.
Quote: “Her dreams felt as empty as a withered tree.”
Examples:

The yard stood as empty as a withered tree.
His hope was as empty as a withered tree.
Their plans felt like a withered tree.

23. As Empty as a Desert Horizon

Meaning: Represents endless emptiness or lonely vastness.
Quote: “Her future stretched as empty as a desert horizon.”
Examples:

The road looked as empty as a desert horizon.
His thoughts were as empty as a desert horizon.
The porch felt like a desert horizon.

24. As Empty as a Dark Tunnel

Meaning: Describes emptiness mixed with uncertainty.
Quote: “His mind felt as empty as a dark tunnel.”
Examples:

The hallway was as empty as a dark tunnel.
Her emotions lay as empty as a dark tunnel.
The night felt like a dark tunnel.

25. As Empty as a Quiet Graveyard

Meaning: Symbolizes eerie, solemn emptiness.
Quote: “The park felt as empty as a quiet graveyard after dusk.”
Examples:

The street was as empty as a quiet graveyard.
His thoughts felt as empty as a quiet graveyard.
Her voice echoed like a quiet graveyard.

26. As Empty as a Snowless Winter

Meaning: Represents something lacking its essential part.
Quote: “The season felt as empty as a snowless winter.”
Examples:

My holiday spirit felt as empty as a snowless winter.
The yard looked as empty as a snowless winter.
Their tradition felt like a snowless winter.

27. As Empty as a Leafless Forest

Meaning: Conveys desolation and cold emptiness.
Quote: “Her loneliness was as empty as a leafless forest.”
Examples:

The trail looked as empty as a leafless forest.
His mind felt as empty as a leafless forest.
The street stood like a leafless forest.

28. As Empty as an Unplayed Piano

Meaning: Symbolizes silence and unexpressed potential.
Quote: “Her creativity was as empty as an unplayed piano.”
Examples:

The stage felt as empty as an unplayed piano.
His heart was as empty as an unplayed piano.
The room sounded like an unplayed piano.

29. As Empty as a Candle Without Flame

Meaning: Represents missing energy, passion, or light.
Quote: “My hope flickered out, leaving me as empty as a candle without flame.”
Examples:

The night felt as empty as a candle without flame.
Her spirit was as empty as a candle without flame.
His voice sounded like a candle without flame.

30. As Empty as an Unopened Gift

Meaning: Symbolizes potential untouched or unexplored emotion.
Quote: “The day felt as empty as an unopened gift.”
Examples:

My birthday table was as empty as an unopened gift.
Her journal remained as empty as an unopened gift.
The moment felt like an unopened gift.

31. As Empty as a Ship Without a Sail

Meaning: Represents lack of direction or purpose.
Quote: “He drifted through days as empty as a ship without a sail.”
Examples:

Her plans felt as empty as a ship without a sail.
The journey seemed as empty as a ship without a sail.
His ambition floated like a ship without a sail.

32. As Empty as a Starless Midnight

Meaning: Deep, emotional emptiness with darkness.
Quote: “The world felt as empty as a starless midnight.”
Examples:

The sky was as empty as a starless midnight.
Her sadness felt as empty as a starless midnight.
The field looked like a starless midnight.

33. As Empty as a Whispering Cave

Meaning: Shows echoing emptiness and isolation.
Quote: “His heart echoed as empty as a whispering cave.”
Examples:

The valley felt as empty as a whispering cave.
Her memories sounded as empty as a whispering cave.
The hallway echoed like a whispering cave.

34. As Empty as a Vacant Field

Meaning: Represents openness without life or activity.
Quote: “Her mind felt as empty as a vacant field.”
Examples:

The yard looked as empty as a vacant field.
His dreams seemed as empty as a vacant field.
The land stretched like a vacant field.

35. As Empty as a Quiet Room at Midnight

Meaning: Describes deep silence and emotional emptiness.
Quote: “Her soul felt as empty as a quiet room at midnight.”
Examples:

The office was as empty as a quiet room at midnight.
His heart stayed as empty as a quiet room at midnight.
The classroom felt like a quiet room at midnight.

Conclusion

These 35 powerful similies for empty offer rich emotional depth and vivid imagery for your poems, essays, stories, or expressive writing. You’ve discovered comparisons that capture silence, loneliness, hollowness, and the quiet spaces of life with poetic clarity.

Use these similes to bring nuance and creativity to your descriptions — whether in school assignments, storytelling, or everyday expression. Language becomes beautiful when we paint feelings with imagination.

🌸 Explore more similes about nature, emotions, life, and creativity on our site to strengthen your writing even further.

FAQ

1. What are the best similes for empty?

Some top choices include as empty as a hollow drum, as empty as a moonless sky, and as empty as a broken shell.

2. How do you write a simile?

A simile uses “like” or “as” to compare two unlike things, such as “as cold as ice” or “like a fading memory.”

3. What’s the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

A simile uses like or as for comparison; a metaphor directly equates one thing with another.

4. How can similes improve creative writing?

They add imagery, emotion, clarity, and descriptive power — making your writing feel more alive and expressive.

Daisy Johnson

Daisy Johnson is a creative writer who crafts vivid similes and poetic expressions to help readers enrich their language and imagination.