Definition
Having an empty space inside; not solid. Also used to describe something that feels empty or meaningless.
Example
The old tree had a hollow trunk big enough to hide in.
Show translation
The old tree had a hollow trunk big enough to hide in.
Etymology
From Old English *holh*, meaning "a hole or cavity," related to Old Norse *holr* and German *hohl* (hollow). The Proto-Germanic root *hulaz* is linked to *hel* (covered place) and shares ancestry with the word "hole" itself. Its figurative sense — a victory that rings hollow, a hollow promise — developed in Middle English, extending the physical emptiness inward to emotional and moral emptiness.
Cultural note
In American English, *hollow* (often spelled *holler* in regional speech) is also a common noun for a small valley between hills, especially in Appalachian culture — think of place names like Sleepy Hollow. This geographic sense is largely absent from British English. The phrase "hollow victory" is a staple of journalism and political speech on both sides of the Atlantic.