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Definition of empty-handed adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

empty-handed

adjective

/ˌempti ˈhændɪd/

/ˌempti ˈhændɪd/

[not usually before noun]

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without getting what you wanted; without taking something to somebody
- The robbers fled empty-handed.
- She visited every Sunday and never arrived empty-handed.
- We went to the sale expecting to buy a lot, but we came away empty-handed.
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See empty-handed in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Check pronunciation: empty-handed

Nearby words

noun

From the Word list

B2

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