adjective
-
destitute or void (of); free (from)
Etymology
Origin of devoid
1350–1400; Middle English, originally past participle < Anglo-French, for Old French desvuidier to empty out, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + vuidier to empty, void
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Is life richer with a fortuneless love match, or with all the wealth in the world and a stable union devoid of romantic passion?
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
A few unnecessarily curt speech interruptions threatened the calm, but mainly, this was a smoothly run machine of a show, devoid of mishaps.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
On Thursday morning, traffic was already backed up on stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway before sunrise and the sidewalks along Wilshire Boulevard were no more devoid of pedestrians than is typical.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Interacting with an accountant can make you feel uneasy if you grew up in a household devoid of money talk.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
A man devoid of such experience wouldn’t think of that.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.