Definitions

hollow-eyed

[hol-oh-ahyd] / ˈhɒl oʊˌaɪd /

ADJECTIVE

haggard

Synonyms

WEAK

ashen careworn drawn emaciated exhausted faded fagged fatigued fretted gaunt ghastly lank lean pale pallid pinched scraggy scrawny shrunken skinny spare starved thin tired wan wasted weak wearied worn worn-down wrinkled

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.

The pictures show a pallid, hollow-eyed man, resembling Poe, who’s sitting by the fire in his dressing gown when there comes a gentle “rapping, rapping” at the door.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

School district lawyers, contrary to popular belief and Disney Channel sitcoms are not hollow-eyed pencil pushers, who live to squelch liberty and creativity in red tape and regulation.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2022

But by 14, Dylan is hollow-eyed, staring blankly at the camera.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 20, 2022

At the Minsk airport, Iraqi families slumped hollow-eyed in seats as the plane was delayed several hours.

From Washington Post • Nov. 21, 2021

Too often men stood hollow-eyed and women wept in doorways as Roger loaded onto a truck the last of their possessions, destined not for another home but for an auction house.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown