empty-handed

English

Adjective

empty-handed (comparative more empty-handed, superlative most empty-handed)

1. Having nothing to give.

   I felt bad having shown up to the baby shower empty-handed.

2. Having given or received nothing.
3. (figuratively) Having failed in a task.

   I was supposed to clean up the trash out back, but I returned empty-handed.

4. (of a style of martial arts such as karate) That revolves purely around unarmed, hand-to-hand combat, and uses no weapons.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:impoverished

Translations

having nothing to give

• French: les mains vides (fr) pl
• German: mit leeren Händen (de)

• Hindi: छूछा हाथ (hi) (chūchā hāth)
• Russian: с пустыми руками (ru) (s pustymi rukami)

having given or received nothing

• French: bredouille (fr) m and f
• German: mit leeren Händen (de)

• Russian: с пустыми руками (ru) (s pustymi rukami), несолоно хлебавши (ru) (nes'olono hleb'avshi)