hollowness.

1. The condition of having empty space inside rather than being solid throughout.

2. A lack of genuine feeling, meaning, or substance.

3. A deep, empty-sounding quality in a voice or other sound.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• the hollowness of a trunk
• the hollowness of a shell

On the page

The trunk's hollowness became apparent only when the outer bark split.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: usually uncountable in these senses; no ordinary plural. Writing functions: structure, character, sensory description. Commonness: moderately common. Interior space, figurative emptiness, and acoustic quality kept separate.