empty containers
Nothing inside them
Empty containers are vessels with nothing inside them—bottles, boxes, jars, cans, or other receptacles that have been emptied or were never filled.
The phrase often appears in shipping regulations, recycling instructions, or storage contexts: Please rinse empty containers before recycling.
Figuratively, someone dismissed as an empty container lacks substance or depth.
- glass jarSealed transparent storage vessel
- jarWide-mouthed storage vessel
- bottleContainer for liquids
- vesselReceptacle for contents
- hollowEmpty within
hollow shell · void · vacant · box · bin · barrel · canister · vase · bucket · crate · shell · husk · carton · shipping crate · jug · tank · drum · tin
- clutterclutter, junk, mess, stuff, debris
- auto wasteused oil, oil filters, antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid