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Preposition after adjective

Empty of, for, in, at or on?

Empty of is the standard pattern for lacking contents. Other prepositions can appear with empty in different meanings or as place expressions.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with empty?

Use empty of to mean lacking something inside: empty of water. Empty for means except for something. Empty in refers to lacking a quality or feature. Empty at and empty on usually introduce places or times rather than completing the adjective itself.

The tank was empty of fuel.
The hall was empty except for one chair.
His apology felt empty in sincerity.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
empty of + thing

Showing that nothing is inside

Use of when describing a container, place, or situation without contents.

The shelves were empty of books.
The streets were empty of traffic.
2
empty for + period or exception

Showing absence during a time or except for something

For can follow empty in expressions about duration or exceptions, not as the core complement of the adjective.

The building remained empty for months.
The room was empty for a single suitcase.
3
empty in + quality

Describing a lack of a quality or feature

Use in with abstract qualities such as meaning, emotion, or detail.

The speech was empty in substance.
4
empty at + place or time

Adding location or time information

At usually introduces an adjunct of place or time rather than completing empty itself.

The station looked empty at midnight.
5
empty on + day or occasion

Referring to a specific day or event

On commonly introduces time expressions after empty.

The office is usually empty on Fridays.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
empty of
The drawer was empty of papers.
containing nothing
empty for
The theatre was empty for weeks.
without use or occupants during a period
empty in
The report is empty in detail.
lacking a quality or feature
empty at
The café is empty at lunchtime.
empty during a particular time
empty on
The roads are empty on holidays.
empty during a specific occasion

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using empty for to mean lacking contents

For does not normally replace of when talking about what is missing inside something.

✕ The bottle is empty for water. ✓ The bottle is empty of water.

Confusing complement and time expression

At and on usually add time or place information, not the missing content.

✕ The box is empty at toys. ✓ The box is empty of toys.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The cupboard was empty ___ food.
2. The stadium stayed empty ___ several months.
3. The article felt empty ___ useful detail.

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Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

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Frequently asked questions

Is empty of correct English?

Yes. It is the standard way to say that something contains nothing.

Can empty be followed by for?

Yes. It is used for duration or exceptions, as in empty for weeks or empty for one table.

Why do people say empty at night?

At introduces a time expression. It does not replace the usual complement empty of.

eager-for-to-in-about, on "early in", "early on" or "early for"? earnest in, with, on, for or at? easy for, on, in, to or with? "economical with" or "economical in"? "ecstatic about" or "ecstatic with"? "effective in", "effective at" or "effective for"? "efficient in" or "efficient at"? elderly in, with, at, of or as? elegant in, with, of, as or to? eligible for, to, in or under? "embarrassed by" or "embarrassed about"?

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