Difference Wiki

Hollow vs. Solid: What's the Difference?

Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on September 26, 2023
"Hollow" refers to something that is empty inside, while "Solid" describes something compact and filled throughout.

Key Differences

"Hollow" and "Solid" are terms used to describe the physical properties of objects. "Hollow" denotes that an object has a cavity or space inside, implying that it is not filled or compact. This term is often associated with structures or objects that have an exterior shell or surface with a noticeable absence of matter within, making them lighter and often more fragile. It's important to note that a hollow object can still have some substance or material, but there is a significant internal space or void.
"Solid," on the contrary, implies that an object is completely filled with matter, with no internal spaces or cavities. Solid objects are characterized by their density and compactness, usually making them heavier and more robust compared to hollow ones. The term "solid" reflects uniformity in composition and structure, symbolizing strength and stability. It's often related to objects that are hard, firm, and withstand pressure due to the absence of internal voids.
"Hollow" objects are frequently used where lightweight structures are beneficial, and their internal space can be utilized for various purposes, such as storage or transportation of other items. The inherent characteristics of hollow structures, such as tubes or pipes, make them suitable for numerous applications where the flow of substances is required, demonstrating the versatility and utility of hollow forms in design and function.
"Solid" objects are valued for their durability and stability, making them preferable in situations that demand strength and resistance to deformation. The dependability of solid structures is essential in various fields, such as construction and manufacturing, where the integrity and reliability of materials are crucial. The solidity of an object ensures its longevity and ability to maintain its form under stress, representing reliability and endurance.
Both "Hollow" and "Solid" have their unique applications, benefits, and limitations. The choice between hollow and solid structures depends on the specific requirements and constraints of a task or project. While hollow structures offer advantages in terms of weight and adaptability, solid structures are distinguished by their resilience and consistency.
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Comparison Chart

Grammar

Usually an adjective.
Often used as an adjective.

Denotation

Refers to objects having an empty space inside.
Denotes objects that are filled with matter.

Attributes

Lightweight, can be fragile.
Dense, heavy, robust.

Usage

Common in structures where lightness is vital.
Preferred where strength and durability are key.

Application

Suitable for applications needing flow or storage.
Ideal for applications requiring resilience.
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Hollow and Solid Definitions

Hollow

Lacking in substance or character.
His apology felt hollow.

Solid

Firm and stable in shape; not liquid or fluid.
The lake had a solid layer of ice on top.

Hollow

Void of significance or point.
The argument was hollow and unsupported.

Solid

Dependable; reliable.
She provided solid advice for my career.

Hollow

Resonating sound due to emptiness.
His voice echoed with a hollow ring in the empty room.

Solid

Having three dimensions.
The cube is a solid figure.

Hollow

Having a cavity, gap, or space within
A hollow wall.

Solid

Of good substantial quality; sound.
This plan is based on solid research.

Hollow

Deeply indented or concave; sunken
"His bearded face already has a set, hollow look" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).

Solid

Of definite shape and volume; not liquid or gaseous
It was so cold the water in the bucket became solid.

Hollow

Without substance or character
A hollow person.

Solid

(Mathematics) Of or relating to three-dimensional geometric figures or bodies.

Hollow

Devoid of truth or validity; specious
"Theirs is at best a hollow form of flattery" (Annalyn Swan).

Solid

Firm or compact in substance
The floor was solid and would not give way.

Hollow

Having a reverberating, sepulchral sound
Hollow footsteps.

Solid

Not hollowed out
A solid block of wood.

Hollow

A cavity, gap, or space
A hollow behind a wall.

Solid

Being the same substance or color throughout
Solid gold.

Hollow

An indented or concave surface or area.

Solid

Having no gaps or breaks; continuous
A solid line of people.
Worked for a solid week.

Hollow

A void; an emptiness
A hollow in one's life.

Solid

Acting together; unanimous
A solid voting bloc.

Hollow

A small valley between hills or mountains.

Solid

Written without a hyphen or space. For example, the word software is a solid compound.

Hollow

To make hollow
Hollow out a pumpkin.

Solid

(Printing) Having no leads between the lines.

Hollow

To scoop or form by making concave
Hollow out a nest in the sand.

Solid

Of good quality
Off to a solid start.

Hollow

To become hollow or empty.

Solid

Substantial; hearty
A solid meal.

Hollow

A small valley between mountains.
He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Rockies.

Solid

Sound; reliable
Solid facts.

Hollow

A sunken area or unfilled space in something solid; a cavity, natural or artificial.
The hollow of the hand or of a tree

Solid

Financially sound
A solid business.

Hollow

(figuratively) A feeling of emptiness.
A hollow in the pit of one’s stomach

Solid

Upstanding or dependable
A solid citizen.

Hollow

(US) A sunken area.

Solid

(Slang) Excellent; first-rate.

Hollow

(transitive) to make a hole in something; to excavate

Solid

A substance having a definite shape and volume; one that is neither liquid nor gaseous.

Hollow

To call or urge by shouting; to hollo.

Solid

(Mathematics) A geometric figure having three dimensions.

Hollow

(of something solid) Having an empty space or cavity inside.
A hollow tree; a hollow sphere

Solid

Without a break or opening; completely or continuously
The theater was booked solid for a month.

Hollow

(of a sound) Distant, eerie; echoing, reverberating, as if in a hollow space; dull, muffled; often low-pitched.
He let out a hollow moan.

Solid

As a whole; unanimously
The committee voted solid for the challenger.

Hollow

(figuratively) Without substance; having no real or significant worth; meaningless.
A hollow victory

Solid

(of an object or substance) That can be picked up or held, having a texture, and usually firm. Unlike a liquid, gas or plasma.
Almost all metals are solid at room temperature.

Hollow

(figuratively) Insincere, devoid of validity; specious.
A hollow promise

Solid

Large in size, quantity, or value.

Hollow

Concave; gaunt; sunken.

Solid

Lacking holes, hollows or admixtures of other materials.
Solid gold
Solid chocolate

Hollow

(gymnastics) Pertaining to hollow body position

Solid

Strong or unyielding.
A solid foundation

Hollow

(colloquial) Completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow.

Solid

(slang) Excellent, of high quality, or reliable.
That's a solid plan.
Radiohead's on tour! Have you heard their latest album yet? It's quite solid.
I don't think Dave would have done that. He's a solid dude.

Hollow

Alternative form of hollo

Solid

Hearty; filling.
A solid meal

Hollow

Having an empty space or cavity, natural or artificial, within a solid substance; not solid; excavated in the interior; as, a hollow tree; a hollow sphere.
Hollow with boards shalt thou make it.

Solid

Worthy of credit, trust, or esteem; substantial; not frivolous or fallacious.

Hollow

Depressed; concave; gaunt; sunken.
With hollow eye and wrinkled brow.

Solid

Financially well off; wealthy.

Hollow

Reverberated from a cavity, or resembling such a sound; deep; muffled; as, a hollow roar.

Solid

Sound; not weak.
A solid constitution of body

Hollow

Not sincere or faithful; false; deceitful; not sound; as, a hollow heart; a hollow friend.

Solid

(typography) Written as one word, without spaces or hyphens.
American English writes many words as solid that British English hyphenates.

Hollow

A cavity, natural or artificial; an unfilled space within anything; a hole, a cavern; an excavation; as the hollow of the hand or of a tree.

Solid

Not having the lines separated by leads; not open.

Hollow

A low spot surrounded by elevations; a depressed part of a surface; a concavity; a channel.
Forests grewUpon the barren hollows.
I hate the dreadful hollow behind the little wood.

Solid

United; without division; unanimous.
The delegation is solid for a candidate.

Hollow

To make hollow, as by digging, cutting, or engraving; to excavate.

Solid

Of a single color throughout.
John painted the walls solid white.
He wore a solid shirt with floral pants.

Hollow

To shout; to hollo.
Whisperings and hollowings are alike to a deaf ear.

Solid

(of drawn lines) Continuous; unbroken; not dotted or dashed.
The solid lines show roads, and the dotted lines footpaths.

Hollow

To urge or call by shouting.
He has hollowed the hounds.

Solid

(dated) Having all the geometrical dimensions; cubic.
A solid foot contains 1,728 solid inches.

Hollow

Hollo.

Solid

(of volumes of materials) Measured as a single solid, as the volumes of individual pieces added together without any gaps.

Hollow

A cavity or space in something;
Hunger had caused the hollows in their cheeks

Solid

(chemistry) A substance in the fundamental state of matter that retains its size and shape without need of a container (as opposed to a liquid or gas).

Hollow

A small valley between mountains;
He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Appalachians

Solid

(geometry) A three-dimensional figure (as opposed to a surface, an area, or a curve).

Hollow

A depression hollowed out of solid matter

Solid

(informal) A favor.
Please do me a solid: lend me your car for one week.
I owe him; he did me a solid last year.

Hollow

Remove the inner part or the core of;
The mining company wants to excavate the hillsite

Solid

An article of clothing which is of a single color throughout.
I prefer solids over paisleys.

Hollow

Remove the interior of;
Hollow out a tree trunk

Solid

(in the plural) Food which is not liquid-based.
The doctor said I can't eat any solids four hours before the operation.

Hollow

Not solid; having a space or gap or cavity;
A hollow wall
A hollow tree
Hollow cheeks
His face became gaunter and more hollow with each year

Solid

Solidly.

Hollow

Deliberately deceptive;
Hollow (or false) promises
False pretenses

Solid

Without spaces or hyphens.
Many long-established compounds are set solid.

Hollow

As if echoing in a hollow space;
The hollow sound of footsteps in the empty ballroom

Solid

Having the constituent parts so compact, or so firmly adhering, as to resist the impression or penetration of other bodies; having a fixed form; hard; firm; compact; - opposed to fluid and liquid or to plastic, like clay, or to incompact, like sand.

Hollow

Devoid of significance or point;
Empty promises
A hollow victory
Vacuous comments

Solid

Not hollow; full of matter; as, a solid globe or cone, as distinguished from a hollow one; not spongy; dense; hence, sometimes, heavy.

Hollow

Having an empty space within.
The hollow log served as a shelter for small animals.

Solid

Having all the geometrical dimensions; cubic; as, a solid foot contains 1,728 solid inches.

Hollow

Not solid; having a cavity inside.
He tapped on the wall and it sounded hollow.

Solid

Firm; compact; strong; stable; unyielding; as, a solid pier; a solid pile; a solid wall.

Solid

Applied to a compound word whose parts are closely united and form an unbroken word; - opposed to hyphened.

Solid

Fig.: Worthy of credit, trust, or esteem; substantial, as opposed to frivolous or fallacious; weighty; firm; strong; valid; just; genuine.
The solid purpose of a sincere and virtuous answer.
These, wanting wit, affect gravity, and go by the name of solid men.
The genius of the Italians wrought by solid toil what the myth-making imagination of the Germans had projected in a poem.

Solid

Sound; not weakly; as, a solid constitution of body.

Solid

Of a fleshy, uniform, undivided substance, as a bulb or root; not spongy or hollow within, as a stem.

Solid

Impenetrable; resisting or excluding any other material particle or atom from any given portion of space; - applied to the supposed ultimate particles of matter.

Solid

Not having the lines separated by leads; not open.

Solid

United; without division; unanimous; as, the delegation is solid for a candidate.
Repose you there; while I [return] to this hard house,More harder than the stones whereof 't is raised.
I hear his thundering voice resound,And trampling feet than shake the solid ground.

Solid

A substance that is held in a fixed form by cohesion among its particles; a substance not fluid.

Solid

A magnitude which has length, breadth, and thickness; a part of space bounded on all sides.

Solid

A substance that is solid at room temperature and pressure

Solid

The state in which a substance has no tendency to flow under moderate stress; resists forces (such as compression) that tend to deform it; and retains a definite size and shape

Solid

A three-dimensional shape

Solid

Of definite shape and volume; firm; neither liquid nor gaseous;
Ice is water in the solid state
Water and milk and blood are liquid substances

Solid

Of good substantial quality;
Solid comfort
A solid base hit

Solid

Entirely of one substance with no holes inside;
Solid silver
A solid block of wood

Solid

Of one substance or character throughout;
Solid gold
A solid color
Carved out of solid rock

Solid

Uninterrupted in space; having no gaps or breaks;
A solid line across the page
Solid sheets of water

Solid

Providing abundant nourishment;
A hearty meal
Good solid food
Ate a substantial breakfast

Solid

Of good quality and condition; solidly built;
A solid foundation
Several substantial timber buildings

Solid

Having high moral qualities;
A noble spirit
A solid citizen
An upstanding man
A worthy successor

Solid

Not soft or yielding to pressure;
A firm mattress
The snow was firm underfoot
Solid ground

Solid

Having three dimensions;
A solid object

Solid

Incapable of being seen through;
Solid blackness

Solid

Entirely of a single color throughout;
A solid fabric

Solid

Acting together as a single undiversified whole;
A solid voting bloc

Solid

Strongly built or made of strong materials.
The house was built on a solid foundation.

FAQs

Is Solid synonymous with hard?

While many solids are hard, not all are; some solids can be soft, like solid rubber.

Does Hollow always mean completely empty inside?

No, hollow objects can have some substance but have a significant internal space or void.

Is a Solid object always heavy?

While solid objects are denser, they are not always heavy; it depends on the size and material.

Can Hollow refer to a sound?

Yes, a sound can be described as hollow if it seems to lack fullness or resonance, often due to being reflected in an empty space.

Can an object be both Hollow and Solid?

It may seem contradictory, but a structure can have solid walls while being hollow inside, like a pipe.

Can Solid refer to liquids or gases under certain conditions?

No, solid specifically refers to a state of matter distinct from liquid and gas, characterized by its firmness and stability.

Does Hollow always refer to physical objects?

No, hollow can describe abstract things, like a hollow promise, lacking sincerity or value.

Does a Hollow structure always collapse easily?

Not necessarily; some hollow structures are designed to be very stable and resilient, like hollow steel beams.

Can Solid objects contain liquids?

Yes, some solid objects, like watermelons, contain liquids within their solid structure.

Can Hollow have a metaphorical meaning?

Yes, hollow can metaphorically describe something as lacking substance, sincerity, or significance.

Is Hollow the opposite of Solid?

In many contexts, hollow is considered the opposite of solid due to the presence of internal space versus the absence of it.

Can Solid describe reliability?

Yes, solid can describe something or someone as reliable, dependable, or of good quality.

Can Solid refer to a character trait?

Yes, describing someone as solid can imply they are dependable, reliable, and steady.

Can a Solid object have hollow spaces within it?

While it might seem contradictory, some solid objects, like bones, do have small hollow spaces within them.

Can something appear Hollow and Solid simultaneously?

Yes, something can appear solid from outside but be hollow inside, like a chocolate Easter bunny.
About Author
Written by
Janet White
Janet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie Carlson
Aimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.

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