Meaning & use
empty phrases
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“empty phrases” is a form of “empty phrase”.
Meaning
nounplural
groups of words that sound important or emotional but have little real meaning or effect.
Grammar: Always plural; the singular is 'empty phrase'. Use a plural verb: empty phrases are common.
Patterns
- empty phrases about something
- use empty phrases
- full of empty phrases
The speech was full of empty phrases about hope and change.
Politicians often use empty phrases to avoid answering difficult questions.
Teachers tell students to avoid empty phrases like 'a lot of things' in essays.
Word forms
| singular | empty phrase |
|---|
Common combinations
- full of empty phrases
- The report was full of empty phrases and no real data.
- use empty phrases
- He tends to use empty phrases when he is nervous.
- empty phrases about
- The article criticized the empty phrases about unity.
- a string of empty phrases
- Her answer was just a string of empty phrases.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clichés
- Clichés are phrases that have been used so often that they have lost their freshness; they may still carry meaning, unlike empty phrases.
- platitudes
- Platitudes are dull, obvious statements; they often overlap with empty phrases but focus more on being unoriginal than on being meaningless.
- buzzwords
- Buzzwords are trendy technical or business terms; they may have real meaning but are overused.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: empty phrases or empty words?
empty phrases vs empty words
Very similar, but 'empty words' is more common in everyday speech and often suggests a broken promise, while 'empty phrases' focuses on the language itself.
Practice
The mayor's speech was criticized for being full of ______ that did not address the city's problems.
Choose one answer.
After 'full of' we need a plural noun, and 'empty phrases' fits the meaning of meaningless language. 'Empty phrase' is singular and would need 'a' or 'an'. 'Empty phrasings' is not a common phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “empty phrases”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.