From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhollowhol‧low1 /ˈhɒləʊ $ ˈhɑː-/ ●●○ adjective 1 HOLEempty inside having an empty space inside a hollow tree► see thesaurus at empty2 → hollow eyes/cheeks etc3 LOW SOUND OR VOICEsound a hollow sound is low and clear like the sound made when you hit something empty There was a hollow thump as the cars collided.4 no valuePRETEND words, events, or people that are hollow have no real worth or value They won, but it was a hollow victory. Even as he spoke, Ivan was well aware of the hollow ring to his words.5 → hollow laugh/voice etc —hollowly adverb Sam laughed hollowly. —hollowness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
hollow• But there was something hollow about the whole experience.• The walls are made of hollow concrete blocks.• How can I insulate the hollow door?• The hollow eyes on the pillow were filling with tears.• A well-shaped grey head leaned to peer at her out of concerned hollow eyes, whose colour she could not determine.• After all, the only connections between the two were a metal chain and a hollow rubber tube.• But they sounded more hollow than they had done a year earlier, and were certainly less widespread.• hollow threats• The bread should sound hollow when you tap the bottom.hollow victory• He thought how sorry he felt for Grover, stuck with his hollow victories.• If he had been absent I would have looked upon it as something of a hollow victory.hollowhollow2 noun [countable] HOLEa place in something that is at a slightly lower level than its surface SYN dip Make a slight hollow in the middle of each cake.Examples from the Corpus
hollow• He built a corral in a hollow across the river and made two small ponies from mud.• Springs had erupted in every hollow, and every path was a rivulet.• His hands whispered over her, light as silk, seeking out every pale hollow and rounded slope.• If the resultant hollow in the neck is really severe it might require a form of heat treatment to rectify the situation.• Fill the hollow with the cream cheese mixture.• Nearly all the men in the hollow were wounded, one man frightfully so, his arm being cut short off.• Down in this hollow the sky seemed darker, the wind colder.hollowhollow3 verb [transitive] to make the surface of something curve inwards The steps were hollowed by centuries of use.Grammar Hollow is usually passive. → hollow something ↔ out→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
hollow• Some horses are naturally more sensitive than others and the rider's weight causes them to hollow and stiffen.• Ask a grown-up to help you hollow out the centre of the carrot.• Are you aware of how we kill and hollow out your relatives?Origin hollow1 Old English holh “hole, hollow place” 