empty-headed

adjective

ˌem(p)-tē-ˈhe-dəd How to pronounce empty-headed (audio)
Definition of empty-headednext
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily got tired of being treated like an empty-headed lackey and quit to start a business

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of empty-headed As a result, his voice was confident, clear, and amplified by an empty-headed belief in his own good intentions. — Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026 Gosling earned an Oscar nomination for his role as the empty-headed Ken, while Ferrell played the goofy CEO of Mattel. — Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 July 2025 Andrew Cunningham Pokémon NPCs usually spout empty-headed pleasantries about the wonders of Pokémon; the NPCs in Palworld set a darker tone from the start. — Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2024 Fairly or not, NOFX and its Warped Tour compatriots are easily written off as empty-headed, obnoxious, adolescent bros. Fat Mike’s capitalist streak rubs many purists the wrong way. — Brett Martin, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty-headed
  1. dumb
  2. stupid
  3. slow
  4. simple
  5. foolish
  6. thick
Adjective
  • And that's exactly where Glenn was for the second time this season — guilty of the dumbest moment of the week.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a dumb ending, involving the Bewitched theme and Dennis Rodman discussing the perils of adult illiteracy (sure), but everything before that is pretty fun, including the Bumblebee Man turning into a bumblebee and Lisa into Albert Einstein.
    — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of dumb
Adjective
  • But also, the audience is not used to people delivering blunt questions — no matter how stupid the answer.
    — Jade Tran, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Pierce and Kember were born in the same place on the same day, a lore-enhancing coincidence too stupid to make up.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • The song develops into a slow-burn, lighters-up jam, its long, unhurried coda like getting lost in a sea of echoing, overlapping memories.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Protein and fiber slow digestion, supporting satiety and healthy blood sugar regulation.
    — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • The actor wore a long black leather coat over a simple black tank, paired with straight-leg blue jeans cinched with a leather belt.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The company played with flexible workdays instead of rigid schedules, clearer windows for collaboration, simpler rules for meetings, better ways to share and document work, and more intentional reasons for coming together in person.
    — Deborah Lovich, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • The descent into foolish and self-destructive groupthink provides the drama.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But Ohtani also struck out three times Thursday — made to look foolish in a much-too-familiar way.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • The public promenade that wraps around the bay in front of the hotel invites walkers, runners, and bikers to explore the historic pathway that leads to the thick, lush pine forest at the edge of the sea.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Bake chicken until deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°, 25–30 minutes.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of thick

Browse Nearby Words

empty
empty-headed
emptying
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Cite this Entry

“Empty-headed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty-headed. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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