left it hollow

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "left it hollow" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something is empty or lacking substance, often in an emotional or metaphorical sense. Example: "After the argument, the silence left it hollow, echoing with unspoken words."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Mr. Rudd inflated Australia's international profile, then left it hollow.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

It wasn't just that the relentless departure of capital, of its intelligentsia and middle class, had left it hollowed from inside; it was also the way local politics had territorialised it.

The Guardian - Books

The flesh is a whitish-buff colour, and is often absent in the stem, leaving it hollow.

Wikipedia

If you intend to use it as a drop tube later, leave it hollow.

WikiHow

Make sure to leave it hollow, so that it can be stuffed with newspaper, scrap pieces of fabric or rolled up pantyhose.

WikiHow

In thinking about what New Labour means, I keep coming back to the man who created it, and who left it such a deflated hollow.

The Guardian

Is the internet actually good for us, or is it just like sitting on a thin raft, floating desolately on a quagmire of data, drunkenly buying things on eBay, left hollow and empty by our underwhelming Instagram likes?

Vice

He finds that the digital bingeing of the world leaves him "hollow and diminished", and that there is "this new neediness [that] pervades everything".

The Guardian - Books

He describes how this giving of everything to a picture is a process that leaves him hollow.

Vice

I don't want to see a Britain where we have our manufacturing, what's left of it, completely hollowed out.

The Guardian

Even so, to find out I had done so badly left a hollow feeling of disappointment.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "left it hollow" to describe situations where something has lost its substance, value, or emotional depth. For instance, "The politician's promises sounded good, but his actions left them hollow."

Common error

Avoid using "left it hollow" in purely literal contexts where "empty" or "vacant" would be more appropriate. The phrase carries a connotation of loss or disappointment, so it is best suited for situations with emotional or metaphorical weight.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "left it hollow" functions as a verb phrase where "left" is the verb, "it" is the object, and "hollow" serves as an adjective describing the state of the object. As Ludwig AI suggests, it is used to indicate a state of emptiness or lack of substance after something has occurred.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "left it hollow" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed expression utilized to depict a sense of emptiness or deficiency in substance. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase typically appears in news, media, and wiki contexts, conveying an emotional or metaphorical void rather than a physical one. It's crucial to employ the phrase when describing situations with emotional resonance, avoiding purely literal interpretations where simpler terms like "empty" suffice. Employing "left it hollow" effectively enhances the impact of writing by emphasizing the loss of value or significance. Its versatility and clarity make it a useful tool for expressing nuanced emotions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hollowed it out

Emphasizes the creation of a hollow space within something.

made it empty

Changes the verb from "left" to "made" and uses the adjective "empty" to convey a similar sense of lacking substance.

left it devoid

Uses "devoid" to highlight the absence of something important.

rendered it void

Replaces the verb and adjective to emphasize a complete lack of content or validity.

emptied it out

Focuses on the action of removing contents, resulting in emptiness.

stripped it bare

Implies the removal of essential elements, leaving something vulnerable and empty.

made it insubstantial

Focuses on the lack of real value or significance.

left it unfulfilled

Shifts the focus to a lack of completion or satisfaction.

left it barren

Suggests a lack of productivity or potential.

evacuated its core

Emphasizes the removal of the central or most important part.

FAQs

What does it mean to say something "left it hollow"?

Saying something "left it hollow" means that something has been emptied of its substance, value, or emotional significance. It implies a sense of loss or disappointment.

What can I say instead of "left it hollow"?

You can use alternatives like "made it empty", "hollowed it out", or "rendered it void" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

How do I use "left it hollow" in a sentence?

You can use "left it hollow" to describe the result of an action or event that caused a sense of emptiness or lack of substance. For example, "The company's broken promises left its reputation hollow."

Is "left it hollow" grammatically correct?

Yes, "left it hollow" is grammatically correct. It follows standard English sentence structure and is widely used in both written and spoken English.