Hollow vs. Solid: What's the Difference?
Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || 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.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
"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.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
"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.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
"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.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 26, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Denotation
Refers to objects having an empty space inside.
Denotes objects that are filled with matter.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
Usage
Common in structures where lightness is vital.
Preferred where strength and durability are key.
Sara Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Application
Suitable for applications needing flow or storage.
Ideal for applications requiring resilience.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
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Hollow and Solid Definitions
Solid
Firm and stable in shape; not liquid or fluid.
The lake had a solid layer of ice on top.
Janet White
Sep 26, 2023
Hollow
Resonating sound due to emptiness.
His voice echoed with a hollow ring in the empty room.
Harlon Moss
Sep 26, 2023
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Solid
Of good substantial quality; sound.
This plan is based on solid research.
Harlon Moss
Sep 26, 2023
Hollow
Deeply indented or concave; sunken
"His bearded face already has a set, hollow look" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Of definite shape and volume; not liquid or gaseous
It was so cold the water in the bucket became solid.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
(Mathematics) Of or relating to three-dimensional geometric figures or bodies.
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
Devoid of truth or validity; specious
"Theirs is at best a hollow form of flattery" (Annalyn Swan).
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Firm or compact in substance
The floor was solid and would not give way.
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Having no gaps or breaks; continuous
A solid line of people.
Worked for a solid week.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Written without a hyphen or space. For example, the word software is a solid compound.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
A small valley between mountains.
He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Rockies.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
A sunken area or unfilled space in something solid; a cavity, natural or artificial.
The hollow of the hand or of a tree
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
(figuratively) A feeling of emptiness.
A hollow in the pit of one’s stomach
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
A substance having a definite shape and volume; one that is neither liquid nor gaseous.
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
(of something solid) Having an empty space or cavity inside.
A hollow tree; a hollow sphere
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Without a break or opening; completely or continuously
The theater was booked solid for a month.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
(figuratively) Without substance; having no real or significant worth; meaningless.
A hollow victory
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Mar 29, 2023
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.
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
(figuratively) Insincere, devoid of validity; specious.
A hollow promise
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Lacking holes, hollows or admixtures of other materials.
Solid gold
Solid chocolate
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
(colloquial) Completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Worthy of credit, trust, or esteem; substantial; not frivolous or fallacious.
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
Reverberated from a cavity, or resembling such a sound; deep; muffled; as, a hollow roar.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
Not sincere or faithful; false; deceitful; not sound; as, a hollow heart; a hollow friend.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
(typography) Written as one word, without spaces or hyphens.
American English writes many words as solid that British English hyphenates.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
United; without division; unanimous.
The delegation is solid for a candidate.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Of a single color throughout.
John painted the walls solid white.
He wore a solid shirt with floral pants.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
To shout; to hollo.
Whisperings and hollowings are alike to a deaf ear.
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
(of drawn lines) Continuous; unbroken; not dotted or dashed.
The solid lines show roads, and the dotted lines footpaths.
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
(dated) Having all the geometrical dimensions; cubic.
A solid foot contains 1,728 solid inches.
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
(of volumes of materials) Measured as a single solid, as the volumes of individual pieces added together without any gaps.
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
A cavity or space in something;
Hunger had caused the hollows in their cheeks
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Mar 29, 2023
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).
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
A small valley between mountains;
He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Appalachians
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
(geometry) A three-dimensional figure (as opposed to a surface, an area, or a curve).
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
Remove the inner part or the core of;
The mining company wants to excavate the hillsite
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
An article of clothing which is of a single color throughout.
I prefer solids over paisleys.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
(in the plural) Food which is not liquid-based.
The doctor said I can't eat any solids four hours before the operation.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Without spaces or hyphens.
Many long-established compounds are set solid.
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
As if echoing in a hollow space;
The hollow sound of footsteps in the empty ballroom
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
Devoid of significance or point;
Empty promises
A hollow victory
Vacuous comments
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Not hollow; full of matter; as, a solid globe or cone, as distinguished from a hollow one; not spongy; dense; hence, sometimes, heavy.
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Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
Having an empty space within.
The hollow log served as a shelter for small animals.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
Solid
Having all the geometrical dimensions; cubic; as, a solid foot contains 1,728 solid inches.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Hollow
Not solid; having a cavity inside.
He tapped on the wall and it sounded hollow.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
Solid
Firm; compact; strong; stable; unyielding; as, a solid pier; a solid pile; a solid wall.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Applied to a compound word whose parts are closely united and form an unbroken word; - opposed to hyphened.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Of a fleshy, uniform, undivided substance, as a bulb or root; not spongy or hollow within, as a stem.
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Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 29, 2023
Solid
A substance that is held in a fixed form by cohesion among its particles; a substance not fluid.
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Solid
A magnitude which has length, breadth, and thickness; a part of space bounded on all sides.
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Mar 29, 2023
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
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Mar 29, 2023
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
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Entirely of one substance with no holes inside;
Solid silver
A solid block of wood
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Of one substance or character throughout;
Solid gold
A solid color
Carved out of solid rock
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Uninterrupted in space; having no gaps or breaks;
A solid line across the page
Solid sheets of water
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Providing abundant nourishment;
A hearty meal
Good solid food
Ate a substantial breakfast
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Of good quality and condition; solidly built;
A solid foundation
Several substantial timber buildings
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Having high moral qualities;
A noble spirit
A solid citizen
An upstanding man
A worthy successor
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Not soft or yielding to pressure;
A firm mattress
The snow was firm underfoot
Solid ground
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Mar 29, 2023
Solid
Strongly built or made of strong materials.
The house was built on a solid foundation.
Janet White
Sep 26, 2023
FAQs
Is Solid synonymous with hard?
While many solids are hard, not all are; some solids can be soft, like solid rubber.
Sara Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Does Hollow always mean completely empty inside?
No, hollow objects can have some substance but have a significant internal space or void.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
Is a Solid object always heavy?
While solid objects are denser, they are not always heavy; it depends on the size and material.
Harlon Moss
Sep 26, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
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.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
Does Hollow always refer to physical objects?
No, hollow can describe abstract things, like a hollow promise, lacking sincerity or value.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 26, 2023
Does a Hollow structure always collapse easily?
Not necessarily; some hollow structures are designed to be very stable and resilient, like hollow steel beams.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
Can Solid objects contain liquids?
Yes, some solid objects, like watermelons, contain liquids within their solid structure.
Harlon Moss
Sep 26, 2023
Can Hollow have a metaphorical meaning?
Yes, hollow can metaphorically describe something as lacking substance, sincerity, or significance.
Harlon Moss
Sep 26, 2023
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.
Janet White
Sep 26, 2023
Can Solid describe reliability?
Yes, solid can describe something or someone as reliable, dependable, or of good quality.
Janet White
Sep 26, 2023
Can Solid refer to a character trait?
Yes, describing someone as solid can imply they are dependable, reliable, and steady.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
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.
Janet White
Sep 26, 2023
Can something appear Hollow and Solid simultaneously?
Yes, something can appear solid from outside but be hollow inside, like a chocolate Easter bunny.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 26, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira RiazSawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma SaeedHuma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.
