void

VOYD/vɔɪd/

Pluralvoids

Verbvoids, voiding, voided

19 meanings of void

Practice

1
empty expansenouncountable
An empty space with nothing in it.
The spaceship drifted alone through the dark void.
When her best friend moved away, it left a void in her life.
UsageSay something leaves a void, or someone fills the void.
Similarvacuum, emptiness, gap
Note
2
never validadjective
Not valid in law, and not able to be made valid later.
The judge said the contract was void.
Any ticket sold after the deadline is null and void.
UsageOften null and void.
Similarinvalid, null, unenforceable
Oppositevalid, binding, enforceable
Note
3
make invalidverbtransitive
To make something no longer valid or worth anything.
Using the wrong charger can void the warranty on your phone.
The cashier voided the sale and gave me my money back.
UsageSay void the warranty or void a check.
Similarinvalidate, cancel, nullify, annul
Oppositevalidate
Note
4
nouncountable
An empty place where there is nothing useful.
The waste soil was used to fill voids left by old quarries.
After the mine closed, the land became a void that nobody wanted.
Note
5
adjectivewith of
Having none at all of a particular thing or quality.
His voice was void of any feeling.
The desert seemed void of life.
UsageDevoid of is more common: devoid of feeling.
Oppositefull
Note
6
adjective
Empty, with nothing or no one in it. Used of a room, house, or an official job nobody holds.
The old house stood void for years, with no one living in it.
The city has dozens of void apartments waiting for repairs.
UsagePeople usually say empty. This word sounds formal.
Similarempty, vacant, unoccupied
Oppositeoccupied, full, filled
Note
7
nouncountable
A huge part of space with very few galaxies in it.
Astronomers found a giant void where hardly any galaxies could be seen.
Our galaxy sits near the edge of a void.
Note
8
nouncountable
An empty hollow space inside a building, such as between floors or walls, or under a road.
The electrician ran the new wires through the void above the ceiling.
Mice had built a nest in the void behind the kitchen wall.
Similarcavity, space, gap, hollow
Note
9
verbtransitive
To pass urine or waste out of the body, or to empty the bladder or bowels.
The nurse asked him to void his bladder before the X-ray.
After surgery, she could not void her bladder without help.
UsageDoctors and nurses say void the bladder.
Similarempty, evacuate, discharge, pass

Less common meanings

10
adjective
Having no effect, so it is useless.
I will make void the counsel of Judah.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, make void means make useless, so their plans have no effect.
[My word] shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, void means without effect, so it will not come back useless.
Similarfutile, useless, ineffectual, pointless, fruitless
Oppositeeffective
Note
11
computingadjective
Of a piece of computer code, doing a job but not giving back any value.
The print method is void because it shows text but gives nothing back.
Make the reset function void, since it doesn't need to return anything.
Note
12
a peenouncountable
One time that a person passes urine.
The nurse wrote down the time of each void.
After the operation, his first void came late in the afternoon.
Note
13
verbobsoletetransitive
An old use: to empty a place, or to leave it and go away.
If they will fight with us, bid them come down, / Or void the field.
1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”Here, void means leave or empty, so leave the field.
Note
14
black catnounslangendearinghumorouscountable
A black cat, used as a funny, loving name for one.
Our little void is asleep on the dark sofa, and I can't find him.
Look at my void's tiny yellow eyes in the dark!
Note
15
vapor pocketnouncountable
A small pocket of vapor that forms inside a moving liquid when the pressure drops low.
Low pressure behind the propeller can make a void form in the water.
Tiny voids in the water made the boat's propeller rattle.
Similarbubble, cavity
Note
16
missing atomsnouncountable
A small empty space inside a crystal where several atoms next to each other are missing.
Under the microscope, the metal showed a tiny void where atoms were missing.
Heat can make the voids inside a metal grow larger.
Similarcavity
Note
17
a missing suitnouncountable
In bridge, not having any cards of one suit in your hand.
With a void in clubs, she could trump the first club that was played.
He picked up his cards and saw a void in hearts.
Note
18
adjective
In bridge, having no cards at all of one suit.
I was void in clubs, so I played a trump.
Since she was void in spades, she threw away a small heart.
UsageSay void in clubs.
Note
19
feast dessertnounarchaichistorical
In the past, a last small serving of spiced wine and sweets at the end of a feast.
Late on the final evening, as the customary ‘void’ – spiced wine and sweetmeats – was served, more elaborate disguisings in the great hall culminated in the release of a flock of white doves.
2011, Thomas Penn, Winter KingHere, void means a last small serving of spiced wine and sweets.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of void apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–18

From an Old French word that goes back to Latin vacuus.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

Void derives from Old French, ultimately from Latin vacuus. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 19

A changed form of the word voidee.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

Void, in its historical refreshment sense, is an altered form of voidee. en.wiktionary.org