VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

empty gesture

noun·Everydaydisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˌempti ˈdʒestʃə/
US/ˌempti ˈdʒestʃər/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. nouncountabledisapproving

    something you do to show good intentions but which has no real effect or result

    Grammar: Countable: use 'a/an' in the singular and add '-s' for more than one.

    Patterns

    • an empty gesture to someone
    • a purely empty gesture
    • dismiss something as an empty gesture

    Sending a card after the damage was done felt like an empty gesture.

    The company's promise to plant trees was widely seen as an empty gesture.

    He offered a quick apology, but to her it was just an empty gesture.

  2. nouncountabledisapproving

    a symbolic act performed mainly to satisfy expectations or appear caring, not to solve the problem

    Grammar: Often used with 'just', 'only', or 'merely' to stress that nothing real was achieved.

    Patterns

    • just an empty gesture
    • merely an empty gesture
    • no more than an empty gesture

    The handshake at the end of the meeting was no more than an empty gesture.

    Critics called the new policy an empty gesture aimed at winning votes.

    Without extra funding, the announcement remains an empty gesture.

Word forms

pluralempty gestures

Common combinations

an empty gesture
Many voters saw the tax cut as an empty gesture.
a purely empty gesture
The donation was a purely empty gesture, since the money never arrived.
dismiss something as an empty gesture
She dismissed his apology as an empty gesture.
no more than an empty gesture
The ceremony was no more than an empty gesture.
an empty gesture to someone
It was an empty gesture to the workers, who needed real change.

Synonyms and how they differ

token gesture
Token gesture is very close, but it often suggests a small symbolic act that is at least sincere, while an empty gesture stresses that nothing useful is achieved.
hollow promise
Hollow promise refers specifically to words that are not kept, whereas an empty gesture is an action rather than a promise.
meaningless act
Meaningless act is a more general phrase and does not always suggest that good intentions were being shown.

Opposites

meaningful actionreal commitment

Word family

empty-handed adjective
arriving or leaving with nothing, especially nothing gained
gesture noun
a movement or action that expresses an idea or feeling
gesture verb
to make a movement or sign to show something

Commonly confused: empty gesture or gesture? empty gesture or token?

empty gesture vs gesture

A gesture on its own is simply a movement or symbolic action; the adjective 'empty' is what makes it clear that the action has no real effect.

empty gesture vs token

A token is a small sign or symbol; a token gesture can still be sincere, while an empty gesture is usually criticized as useless.

Practice

After the factory closed, the mayor's visit was seen as ______.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “empty gesture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words