hollow

Compared meaning: empty or hollow inside (adjective).

比较义项：空心的，内部中空（形容词）。

• hollow 本词

  Neutral and general: simply means there is an empty space inside something, regardless of size; used for trees, teeth, bones, balls, etc.

  中性且通用：只是说明某物内部有空的空间，不论大小；可用于树木、牙齿、骨头、球等。

  The chocolate egg was hollow, with nothing but air inside it.

  这个巧克力蛋是空心的，里面除了空气什么都没有。

• cavernous

  Stronger and more vivid: describes a large, deep hollow space like a cave, often with an echo; used mainly for big rooms, halls or mouths, not small objects.

  语气更强、更生动：形容像洞穴一样又大又深的空间，常带有回声；主要用于大房间、大厅或口腔，不用于小物件。

  Her cavernous yawn revealed a mouth that seemed to swallow the room.

  她张开大嘴打了个哈欠，那嘴巴又深又空，仿佛要把整个房间吞下去。

Hollow and cavernous both describe something empty inside, but differ in strength. Hollow is neutral, meaning empty space inside something, used for trees, teeth, or balls. Cavernous is stronger, for large, deep, cave-like spaces, mainly big rooms or mouths. Not compared: hollow meaning insincere.

两个词都描述物体内部是空的，但 cavernous 语气更强，强调空间又大又深，常带有回声或幽暗的意味，多用来形容建筑内部或洞穴般的大空间；hollow 只是中性地说明内部是空的，任何大小的物体都能用。此处不比较 hollow 的另一义项“空洞的，不真诚的”（如 hollow promise）。

Compared meaning: an empty gap or dip in something (noun).

比较义项：坚硬物体上的空洞或地面上的凹陷（名词）。

• hole

  The general, everyday word for any gap or opening in something solid, regardless of size, shape, or how it was made — from tiny holes in cloth to holes dug in the ground.

  最普通、日常的说法，指任何硬物上的空隙或开口，不论大小、形状或成因——从衣服上的小洞到挖在地上的洞都可以用它。

  There's a hole in your sock — I can see your toe through it.

  你的袜子上有个洞——我都能看到你的脚趾了。

• hollow 本词

  Refers to a sunken, bowl-shaped dip, especially a natural low spot in the ground or terrain, rather than just any opening; slightly more formal and often used in descriptions of landscape.

  指一处凹陷、碗状的低洼地带，尤其是地面或地形中天然形成的低处，而不是随便什么开口；语气略正式，常用于描写地貌。

  Deer often rest in a hollow between the hills, hidden from the wind.

  鹿常常在山丘之间的一处凹地里休息，躲避风吹。

Hole and hollow can both mean an empty space in something solid. Hole is the general word for any gap or opening, from cloth to the ground. Hollow means a sunken dip, especially a natural low spot in land. Not compared: hollow as an adjective.

这两个词都可以指“洞”，但 hole 是最通用的说法，指任何硬物上的空隙或开口，大小、形状、成因都不限；hollow 则更常指地面或物体内部一处天然的凹陷或凹空地带，带有“凹陷、低洼”的意味，语气略正式、书面。这里不比较 hollow 作形容词时的“空心的，凹陷的”这一用法。