not as empty as

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not as empty as" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to compare the emptiness of two things, indicating that one is less empty than the other. Example: "The box was not as empty as I had expected; there were still a few items left inside."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

But not as empty as death.

The New Yorker

Empty, perhaps, but not as empty as that.

The Guardian - Opinion

Outer space is not as empty as some might have you believe.

Columbia University

Brian A. Nelson agreed with the analysis, claiming that Baralt Avenue was not as empty as the film portrays and that the filmmakers "put a black bar at the top of the frame to hide the Metropolitan Police trucks that were still there".

Wikipedia

While it is true that latency variations have been little investigated in the CNS, the literature is not as empty as the manuscript would suggest.

eLife

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

He'd certainly be included on a list of the top dozen or so white rappers from the upper Midwest (not as empty a field as you might think).

The New York Times

Pretentious, surreal, film-noir nonsense from the British pop-dance duo the Pet Shop Boys, who string together vignettes showing how empty and silly life can be (not as empty and silly as this movie).

Los Angeles Times

The docks have moved downstream and the river is emptier now – though not nearly as empty as the Thames – but it wasn't the occasional barge or coaster ploughing upriver that reminded me of bygone Britain.

The Guardian - Opinion

But the moors and glens are not quite as empty as they used to be.

The Economist

But, as they quickly pointed out, the line was not actually as empty as it seemed!

TechCrunch

"Visitors" is a stripped-down book, certainly, but it doesn't feel as empty as Dorothea's life clearly is.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "not as empty as", ensure you clearly define what you are comparing. The context should make it obvious what the two items or situations are.

Common error

Avoid using "not as empty as" without a clear point of reference. Ensure the reader understands what is being compared to prevent ambiguity. For instance, instead of saying "The room was not as empty as expected", specify "The room was not as empty as expected, given the late hour."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not as empty as" functions as a comparative, modifying a noun by indicating that it possesses a lesser degree of emptiness in relation to something else. Ludwig AI confirms its standard grammatical structure. For instance, "Life would be pretty empty without your friends. But not as empty as death."

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "not as empty as" is a comparative expression used to indicate that something is less empty than something else, implying a relative degree of content or activity. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically correct and usable in written English, with examples spanning diverse contexts such as News & Media, Science, and Academia. While not exceedingly common, this phrase offers a nuanced way to adjust expectations by contrasting levels of emptiness. When using "not as empty as", ensure clarity in your comparison, making explicit what two subjects are in relation. This practice prevents ambiguity and enhances the impact of your statement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not nearly as vacant as

Substitutes "empty" with "vacant", adding "nearly" for emphasis.

less full than

Emphasizes the lack of fullness as opposed to the lack of emptiness.

not as devoid of

Replaces "empty" with "devoid", which has a similar meaning.

not quite as bare as

Employs "bare" to convey a lack of adornment or content.

not as hollow as

Uses "hollow" to suggest a lack of substance.

not quite so barren as

Uses "barren" to imply a lack of content or activity.

not as sparsely filled as

Rephrases the sentence focusing on how sparsely filled the subject is.

more occupied than

Focuses on the presence of something rather than the absence.

more populated than

Highlights the presence of inhabitants or elements.

contains more than

Shifts the focus to the content instead of the space.

FAQs

How can I use "not as empty as" in a sentence?

Use "not as empty as" to compare the level of emptiness between two subjects, implying that one contains more than the other. For example, "The glass was "not as empty as" I thought; there was still some juice left."

What's a more formal way to say "not as empty as"?

A more formal alternative is "less devoid of". This maintains the comparative aspect while using more sophisticated vocabulary.

What words can I substitute for "empty" in "not as empty as"?

Synonyms for "empty" include "vacant", "bare", or "hollow". Depending on the context, these can provide a more precise nuance. For example, "not as vacant as" might describe a building, while "not as bare as" could refer to a landscape.

How does "not as empty as" differ from "less empty than"?

"Not as empty as" and "less empty than" are largely interchangeable. However, "less empty than" might sound slightly more concise and direct in some contexts.