come away empty
Leave without results
To come away empty is to leave a situation without getting what you sought—no prize, no answer, no result.
The phrase often describes failed searches, fruitless negotiations, or disappointing outcomes: We searched the whole house but came away empty.
Sometimes shortened to come up empty.
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- dejectionState of lowness
- bad luckUnfavorable chance events
- no diceCasual refusal phrase
- unrewardedReceiving nothing earned
frustration · fruitless · wild goose chase · regret · dissatisfaction · longing · lost cause · hopelessness · disillusionment · in vain · shot in the dark · sadness · overconfidence · letdown · perseverance · miscommunication · bust · struck out
acquisition/success
come away emptysucceed
Achieve a desired aim
score · hit the jackpot · strike gold · win · make a killing
come, comes, coming, comer, comers, away, empty, empties, emptied