devoid

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "devoid" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe the absence of something, usually used in a negative way. For example: The room was devoid of any color, making it look dull and uninviting.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I was angry because I knew that I was too young to confront the nihilistic truth that Christmas was suddenly devoid of meaning or purpose.

The Guardian - Opinion

Well, there's more in common with the physiology of jellyfish and the "bloom" of school leaders than you might think: both of them are utterly devoid of a backbone.

The Guardian

Internet trolling might seem like an issue that only affects a certain subset of people, but that's only true if you believe that living in a world devoid of diverse voices – public discourse shaped primarily by white, heterosexual, able-bodied men – wouldn't profoundly affect your life.

The Guardian

Just as credit-fuelled personal debt spiralled out of control because there were no longer high street bank managers who knew the clients, knew the locality, and were able to make intelligent judgments about individual cases, so the sovereign debt world is now devoid of commonsense and balanced judgment in its dealings about nations.

The Guardian - Opinion

Thankfully he relented when he heard my breath on his shoulder once more and we settled into a friendlier pace – chatting occasionally – bemoaning the high sun and long straight roads lined with cypress trees but devoid of shade, which reminded me of hot summers in Italy.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The phrase is too bureaucratic, too devoid of optimism: two in three voters think it means more austerity.

The Guardian - Opinion

At least he'd be in with a show for the Nissan Maxima a year later… Often now we'll lament that a great number of one-day internationals in Australia are essentially meaningless, mainly because they're devoid of context beyond ICC rankings and nobody really cares about those until their own country is on top.

The Guardian - Sport

But I would urge those individuals not to dismiss the people who proposed those policies as devoid of morality – or assume those policies are somehow amoral themselves.

The Guardian

And far from forcing headteachers to compete against each other, devoid of any support, we are encouraging them to work together and indeed the growth in academies has led to a boom in the number of schools working in partnership.

The Guardian

The crowd listened quietly for much of Rubio's remarks, which at a brief 13 minutes were largely devoid of the pomp and bombast of the other Republican heavyweights who had descended on Greenville that weekend.

The Guardian

The first half was devoid of footballing haymakers.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "devoid" to emphasize a complete absence, creating a strong and clear statement. For example, "The argument was completely devoid of logic."

Common error

While "devoid" is a perfectly valid word, overuse in informal or casual writing can make your tone sound unnecessarily formal or even pretentious. In such contexts, consider using simpler alternatives like "without" or "lacking."

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "devoid" is as an adjective, typically used to describe a noun that lacks something. Ludwig AI confirms its use describing the absence of something, and the provided examples illustrate this, such as "devoid of meaning" or "devoid of hope".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "devoid" is an adjective indicating a complete absence of something, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It is grammatically correct and very common, primarily used in News & Media, Formal & Business, and Science contexts. When writing, use "devoid" to emphasize the complete lack of a quality or element, but be mindful of its somewhat formal tone, opting for simpler alternatives in casual settings. Alternatives include "lacking in" or "without". As demonstrated by Ludwig's examples, "devoid" strengthens your writing by stressing what is missing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

without

Indicates the absence of something, offering a more concise alternative to "devoid".

lacking in

Expresses a deficiency or absence of something, similar to "devoid", but uses a prepositional phrase construction.

empty of

Conveys the idea of being empty or lacking contents, akin to "devoid" in its literal sense.

bereft of

Similar to "devoid", but often carries a stronger emotional connotation of loss or deprivation.

absent of

Indicates that something is not present, similar to the meaning of "devoid".

wanting in

Suggests a lack or deficiency, providing a more formal alternative to "devoid".

missing

Simple and direct term indicating something is absent, similar to a basic sense of "devoid".

free from

Implies the absence of something, but often suggests a positive state of being unburdened.

clear of

Indicates an absence, often used when something has been removed or cleaned away.

excluding

Implies omission, indicating something is left out or not included.

FAQs

How to use "devoid" in a sentence?

You can use "devoid" to describe something that is completely lacking a particular quality or substance. For instance, "The landscape was "devoid of trees"" or "His expression was "devoid of emotion"".

What can I say instead of "devoid"?

You can use alternatives like "lacking in", "without", or "bereft of" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "devoid of" or "devoid from"?

"Devoid of" is the correct and standard usage. "Devoid from" is grammatically incorrect.

Is "devoid" a negative word?

Yes, "devoid" generally carries a negative connotation as it signifies the absence of something that might be expected or desired.