empty arms
Longing without holding
Empty arms describes the aching absence felt after losing a child or being unable to hold one you long for.
The phrase evokes a parent's posture—arms that should cradle a baby but have nothing to hold: She came home from the hospital with empty arms.
Common in discussions of miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, and infertility.
- longingIntense, persistent desire
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
- lossBeing without something
- angel babyInnocent, perfect little one
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
aching heart · ache · motherless · childless · embrace · cradle · hold · reach · waiting · absence · miscarriage · bereavement · hollow · cradling · rocking · rocking chair · nursery · lullaby
- Pregnancy Lossmiscarriage, stillbirth, stillborn, pregnancy loss, fetal demise
physical embrace
empty armstight embrace
warm embrace · holding tight · bear hug · snuggling · cuddling
empty, arm, arms, emptied, empties, emptying, emptier, emptiest, emptiness