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empty-headed

empty-headed

3 6.3
Silly, not very intelligent and not serious
  • adjective
  • /ˈɛmptiˈhɛdɪd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : tonto
  • He often makes empty-headed comments that don't contribute to the discussion.
  • foolish and empty-headed
  • so empty-headed

Examples

  • The class was filled with empty-headed chatter instead of serious debate.

  • What an empty-headed, argumentative, suspicious, and spooky old woman she turned out to be, he thought.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • And they don't care how empty headed she is.

  • "Baron, I sometimes think you are quite empty-headed.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • He'll be an empty-headed robot wandering around Hollywood.

  • And if you think I'm gonna let you take that away from me, you're as empty-headed as the rest of them.

  • As if I should spend my life with that empty-headed creature and his beautiful, empty-headed children!

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I'm not an empty-headed liberal; I don't really believe the myth that "all opinions are equal."

    Blog text (11)
  • Big-hearted and empty-headed.

  • All of us, beginners and veterans, run head-on into those despair-inducing stretches when the blank page just peers back at us, and even the dog looks over in pity while we sit there, exposed and empty-headed, our mouths ajar.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

silly
vsempty-headed
976 1.0

Not sensible and often a little foolish

is similar but may be used more for light, playful foolishness
mindless
vsempty-headed
39 4.1

Not thinking or paying attention before acting

is closer to playful silliness rather than sheer absence of awareness
brainless
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
24 3.5

Very stupid and not using common sense

is milder, focusing more on silliness and frivolous behaviour
vacant
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
18 4.1

Having a blank look that shows no thought or interest

is broader, including both trivial silliness and lack of intelligence
vapid
vsempty-headed
16 7.9

Not interesting or lively and often boring

expresses shallow or silly thought rather than mere dullness
dizzy
vsempty-headed
  • Informal
12 3.9

Someone who is silly and not very serious

is similar but may include a broader lack of intelligence
giddy
vsempty-headed
  • Informal
12 4.4

Acting silly and playful without being serious

covers that playfulness but also general simple foolishness or lack of thought
vacuous
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
6 7.7

Showing little thought or intelligence

matches that emptiness but also stresses light or frivolous attitude
ditzy
vsempty-headed
  • Informal
5 8.2

Silly and a little forgetful in a friendly way

leans more to general lack of seriousness rather than unreliability
headless
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
5 6.8

Acting without thinking or planning

is closer to light silliness rather than absence of direction
braindead
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
1 7.3

Very stupid and showing little thought

is less extreme, highlighting playful or silly lack of seriousness
light-headed
vsempty-headed
  • Informal
1 5.0

Being silly and not serious in behavior

is the same idea but can also mean plain lack of intelligence
lightheaded
vsempty-headed
  • Informal
1 5.6

Not serious or sensible and often acting silly

is similar but can emphasize absence of seriousness over frivolity
gormless
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Someone who is not smart and slow to understand

is less harsh, usually meaning silly or not very serious
airheaded
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
1 7.9

Not thinking carefully and often acting silly

is the same idea but may also imply slight lack of intelligence
flea-brained
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
1 9.8

Being very silly and not serious

is similar but may be used more playfully than outright foolishness
fatheaded
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
1 8.8

Not very smart or sensible

is softer, often meaning silly or frivolous rather than harshly stupid
dunderheaded
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
1 7.9

Being very foolish and showing poor judgment

is generally lighter, focusing on trivial or playful foolishness
featherbrained
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
8.3

Not serious and likely to make bad choices

is similar but stresses lack of seriousness or simple foolishness
puddingheaded
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
9.9

Silly and confused in the way someone thinks

is more about light silliness than deep confusion or slowness
wooden-headed
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
8.9

Slow to understand or learn things

is milder, implying frivolous or lightweight thinking instead of slowness
lunkheaded
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
9.8

Being very foolish and clumsy in how someone thinks or acts

is more about playful silliness than clumsy foolish behaviour
ass-brained
vsempty-headed
  • Offensive
9.9

Very foolish and acting without thinking

is softer, focusing on frivolousness rather than harsh insult

Antonyms

81 2.7

Showing good judgment and practical sense

A person who thinks carefully and acts in a calm, sincere way

How Silly

foolish
505 1.3
empty-headed
  • Offensive
3 6.3
frivolous
74 6.8
serious
452 1.4

Surface Forms

empty-headed positive

Morphology

empty-headed = empty + head (transparent) = empty + head + ed

The compound combines 'empty' + 'head' plus the adjectival '-ed' yielding 'having an empty head' i.e. silly, which a learner can derive from the parts.

Etymology

Empty-headed comes from the simple words empty and head. Picture a head that is 'empty' inside, so the phrase describes someone who is silly or lacking serious thought.