meaningless

Compared meaning: having no real substance or value (adjective).

比较义项：空洞的，缺乏实质意义或价值的（形容词）。

• empty

  Empty describes promises, words, apologies or gestures that seem sincere but carry no real intention or substance behind them, often implying insincerity or deception.

  empty 常用来形容承诺、言辞、道歉或姿态，表面看似诚恳，实则背后没有真正的意图或实质内容，常暗示虚伪或欺骗。

  His apology sounded empty, since he never actually changed his behavior afterward.

  他的道歉听起来很空洞，因为他之后根本没有真正改变自己的行为。

• meaningless 本词

  Meaningless describes things such as data, symbols, actions or events that carry no sense or purpose at all, without suggesting any insincerity.

  meaningless 用于形容数据、符号、行为或事件等完全没有意义或目的的事物，不暗示任何虚伪的意味。

  A string of random letters is meaningless without a code to decode it.

  一串随机字母如果没有解码用的密码，就毫无意义。

Both can mean 'without real substance'. Empty describes promises, words, or gestures that seem sincere but carry no real intention, often suggesting insincerity. Meaningless describes things like data or actions that carry no sense or purpose, without suggesting insincerity. Not covered: empty meaning 'physically empty'.

empty 和 meaningless 在“空洞的、无实质意义”这一义项上意思相近，容易混淆；但 empty 更强调承诺、言辞等表面看似真诚、实则背后毫无实质内容，常暗示虚伪，而 meaningless 更中性，泛指完全没有意义或目的的事物或信息，不带虚伪的意味。这里不比较 empty 表示“空的、没有物品”的物理意义。