50+ Simile for Being Mad With Meaning &Example For 2026

Have you ever tried to describe a room that was totally empty? You could just say, “The room was empty.” It gets the point done, but it’s a little boring, right? It doesn’t really show the reader how that emptiness feels.

That is exactly where creative writing similes come to the rescue!

Think of a simile as a bridge that connects two completely different things to create a vivid picture in your reader’s mind. By using the words “like” or “as,” you can turn a plain, boring sentence into a colorful mental image. For example, instead of saying a room is empty, you might say it is as empty as a desert at night. Suddenly, your reader can feel the quiet, vast, and lonely space.

Learning how to use similes in writing is one of the easiest ways to level up your storytelling. It helps your audience see, hear, and feel exactly what your characters are going through. In this guide, we are going to look at the meaning of similes, explore 50 awesome examples, and even do a quick practice exercise together.

Let’s dive in!

50 Creative Similes for Empty Space (and More!)

Here is a massive list of simile sentences to inspire your next writing project. Let’s explore how they work, what they mean, and how to use them.

1. As empty as a ghost town

Meaning: Completely deserted and lonely.
What it conveys: A feeling of spooky silence where people used to be.
Example 1: After the factory closed down, the streets were as empty as a ghost town.
Example 2: I walked into the school on Saturday, and it was as empty as a ghost town.

2. Like a blank canvas

Meaning: Totally clean and ready for something new.
What it conveys: Endless possibilities and a fresh start.
Example 1: Moving into my new apartment felt like standing before a blank canvas.
Example 2: With all the furniture gone, the living room looked like a blank canvas.

3. As empty as a forgotten promises

Meaning: Hollow and deeply disappointing.
What it conveys: Sadness, betrayal, and emotional lack.
Example 1: The old, broken playground felt as empty as a forgotten promise.
Example 2: Her apology rang out, sounding as empty as a forgotten promise.

4. Like a cavernous hall

Meaning: Huge, echoing, and hollow.
What it conveys: A grand but cold and lonely space.
Example 1: The stadium looked like a cavernous hall after the fans left.
Example 2: Without any rugs or curtains, the giant house felt like a cavernous hall.

5. As empty as a vacuum

Meaning: Containing absolutely nothing at all.
What it conveys: A scientific, absolute stillness where sound cannot travel.
Example 1: The jar was sealed tight, making the inside as empty as a vacuum.
Example 2: When he lost his job, his daily schedule felt as empty as a vacuum.

6. Like a barren desert

Meaning: Dry, vast, and life-less.
What it conveys: Extreme isolation and harsh emptiness.
Example 1: The parking lot on a Sunday morning looks like a barren desert.
Example 2: My mind went completely blank, feeling like a barren desert during the test.

7. As empty as a drained pool

Meaning: Missing the very thing that makes it useful.
What it conveys: A sad, awkward, and unnatural kind of bareness.
Example 1: In the middle of winter, the neighborhood park felt as empty as a drained pool.
Example 2: The water park looked creepy and as empty as a drained pool in November.

8. Like an abandoned nest

Meaning: Left behind by its inhabitants.
What it conveys: Fragility, quiet abandonment, and a lost home.
Example 1: Once the kids went off to college, the big house felt like an abandoned nest.
Example 2: The old security booth at the gate sat like an abandoned nest.

9. As empty as a hollow log

Meaning: Solid on the outside but totally vacant inside.
What it conveys: Superficial fullness hiding a lack of substance.
Example 1: The politician’s speech sounded as empty as a hollow log.
Example 2: Tap on the wall; if it sounds as empty as a hollow log, it’s not a support beam.

10. Like a movie theater after the credits

Meaning: Suddenly cleared of noise and excitement.
What it conveys: The abrupt transition from high energy to total silence.
Example 1: When the party ended, the house felt like a movie theater after the credits.
Example 2: The messy arena was left standing like a movie theater after the credits.

11. As empty as an open grave

Meaning: Eerie, deep, and ominous.
What it conveys: Darkness and a chilling sense of finality.
Example 1: The dark alleyway loomed ahead, looking as empty as an open grave.
Example 2: The abandoned mineshaft sat in the woods, as empty as an open grave.

12. Like an unwritten book

Meaning: Full of blank pages waiting to be filled.
What it conveys: Hope, the future, and an absence of history.
Example 1: January first always feels like an unwritten book.
Example 2: Looking out at the clear blue sky, the day felt like an unwritten book.

13. As empty as a skeleton’s stare

Meaning: Lacking warmth, life, or emotion.
What it conveys: A spooky, hollow, and chilling emptiness.
Example 1: The broken windows of the old mansion looked as empty as a skeleton’s stare.
Example 2: The abandoned storefront faced the street, as empty as a skeleton’s stare.

14. Like a stage before the show

Meaning: Quiet but filled with quiet anticipation.
What it conveys: A calm before the storm, waiting for action.
Example 1: The quiet classroom at 7:00 AM is like a stage before the show.
Example 2: The pristine football field sat under the lights like a stage before the show.

15. As empty as a picked bone

Meaning: Stripped of absolutely everything useful or valuable.
What it conveys: Desolation, harshness, and total depletion.
Example 1: The burglar left the jewelry box looking as empty as a picked bone.
Example 2: After the clearance sale, the store shelves were as empty as a picked bone.

16. Like a mirror with no reflection

Meaning: Impossible, strange, and vacant.
What it conveys: A surreal, eerie sense of missing reality.
Example 1: Walking through the silent fog felt like looking into a mirror with no reflection.
Example 2: His memory was gone, leaving his past looking like a mirror with no reflection.

17. As empty as a church on Monday

Meaning: Quiet after a time of great gathering.
What it conveys: Peace, stillness, and a rest from noise.
Example 1: The bustling market became as empty as a church on Monday by midnight.
Example 2: The grand ballroom sat dark and as empty as a church on Monday.

18. Like an echo chamber

Meaning: So vacant that every little sound bounces around.
What it conveys: Solitude, amplification of small things, and loneliness.
Example 1: Without any furniture, the new apartment acted like an echo chamber.
Example 2: My thoughts raced around my head like an echo chamber.

19. As empty as a dried-up well

Meaning: Deficient of life-giving resources.
What it conveys: Exhaustion, uselessness, and disappointment.
Example 1: The author felt as empty as a dried-up well after writing for ten hours straight.
Example 2: The town’s funds were completely depleted, leaving the budget as empty as a dried-up well.

20. Like a cage with no bird

Meaning: Safe but entirely purposeless.
What it conveys: Sadness, loss of freedom, or missing life.
Example 1: The beautiful nursery sat quiet and clean, like a cage with no bird.
Example 2: The corporate office over the weekend looks like a cage with no bird.

21. As empty as a shipwreck on the ocean floor

Meaning: Forgotten, deep, and abandoned by time.
What it conveys: Ancient loss, mystery, and heavy stillness.
Example 1: The old library attic was as empty as a shipwreck on the ocean floor.
Example 2: The rusty car sat in the woods, as empty as a shipwreck on the ocean floor.

23. Like a dry riverbed

Meaning: A place where life used to flow but is now gone.
What it conveys: Loneliness, thirst, and seasonal change.
Example 1: The dirt road looked like a dry riverbed during the summer drought.
Example 2: Her voice lacked emotion, sounding like a dry riverbed.

24. As empty as an exile’s heart

Meaning: Filled with homesickness and longing.
What it conveys: Deep, painful, and emotional loneliness.
Example 1: Leaving his homeland left him feeling as empty as an exile’s heart.
Example 2: The old song sounded beautiful but as empty as an exile’s heart.

25. Like a cleared chalkboard

Meaning: Erased and ready for new ideas.
What it conveys: Relief, simplicity, and starting over.
Example 1: Meditation helps make my mind feel like a cleared chalkboard.
Example 2: The manager wiped the project schedule clean, leaving it like a cleared chalkboard.

26. As empty as a wallet after the holidays

Meaning: Totally drained of money or resources.
What it conveys: Relatable humor, exhaustion, and lighthearted lack.
Example 1: After buying all those textbooks, my bank account was as empty as a wallet after the holidays.
Example 2: The coin jar sat on the dresser, as empty as a wallet after the holidays.

27. Like a balloon after a party

Meaning: Deflated, shriveled, and devoid of joy.
What it conveys: The sad feeling that comes after fun times end.
Example 1: He felt tired and like a balloon after a party when the project was finally done.
Example 2: The old festival grounds lay flat and quiet, like a balloon after a party.

28. As empty as a winter sky

Meaning: Pale, vast, and cloudless but cold.
What it conveys: A clean, chilly, and unemotional atmosphere.
Example 1: The icy lake stretched out under a horizon that was as empty as a winter sky.
Example 2: Her pale blue eyes looked beautiful but as empty as a winter sky.

29. Like an unpeopled island

Meaning: Unexplored and completely isolated from society.
What it conveys: Pristine beauty mixed with deep isolation.
Example 1: The park at dawn was peaceful, like an unpeopled island in the city.
Example 2: He lived alone on the mountain, treating his home like an unpeopled island.

30. As empty as a shadow

Meaning: Having form but no actual weight or substance.
What it conveys: Ghostly presence, illusion, and lack of reality.
Example 1: The promise he made turned out to be as empty as a shadow.
Example 2: She walked through the crowd quietly, feeling as empty as a shadow.

31. Like an envelope with no letter

Meaning: Holding potential but containing nothing inside.
What it conveys: Disappointment and a broken connection.
Example 1: A beautiful house without love inside is like an envelope with no letter.
Example 2: The package arrived light and flimsy, just like an envelope with no letter.

32. As empty as a theater marquee on a dark night

Meaning: Unlit, unread, and showing nothing.
What it conveys: Financial failure, quiet, and lack of entertainment.
Example 1: The closed business district was as empty as a theater marquee on a dark night.
Example 2: His creative mind felt shut down, as empty as a theater marquee on a dark night.

33. Like a locker room after a loss

Meaning: Quiet, heavy, and full of unspoken sadness.
What it conveys: Mourning, defeat, and heavy silence.
Example 1: The dinner table after the argument felt like a locker room after a loss.
Example 2: The campaign headquarters sat silent and like a locker room after a loss.

34. As empty as a broken shell

Meaning: The protective outer layer is left, but the life is gone.
What it conveys: Fragility, abandonment, and vulnerability.
Example 1: The old castle stood on the hill, as empty as a broken shell.
Example 2: After working a 16-hour shift, he felt as empty as a broken shell.

35. Like a highway at 3:00 AM

Meaning: Wide open with absolutely no traffic.
What it conveys: Freedom, eerie quiet, and uncommon stillness.
Example 1: During the storm, the city streets were like a highway at 3:00 AM.
Example 2: My mind finally cleared out, feeling wide open like a highway at 3:00 AM.

36. As empty as a runway

Meaning: A flat, wide, and unobstructed space.
What it conveys: Readiness for take-off or immense open space.
Example 1: The desert valley stretched out before them, as empty as a runway.
Example 2: He cleared his desk until it was as empty as a runway.

37. Like a museum after hours

Meaning: Full of interesting things but completely devoid of human life.
What it conveys: Sacred, quiet, and slightly eerie stillness.
Example 1: Walking through the antique shop felt like exploring a museum after hours.
Example 2: The grand hotel lobby at midnight was like a museum after hours.

38. As empty as a cocoon

Meaning: The creature has transformed and flown away.
What it conveys: Growth, departure, and successful change.
Example 1: The crib sat in the room, as empty as a cocoon since the baby grew up.
Example 2: The old training camp was left behind, as empty as a cocoon.

39. Like a glass waiting for water

Meaning: Ready and eager to be filled up.
What it conveys: Anticipation, thirst, and readiness to learn.
Example 1: The young students sat at their desks like a glass waiting for water.
Example 2: She approached the new art class like a glass waiting for water.

40. As empty as an echo

Meaning: A mere sound reflection with no physical body.
What it conveys: Fading memories and insubstantial talk.
Example 1: The bully’s threats turned out to be as empty as an echo.
Example 2: The old rumors spread through town, sounding as empty as an echo.

41. Like a ghost’s pockets

Meaning: Hilariously and completely devoid of anything tangible.
What it conveys: Playful or whimsical emptiness.
Example 1: I looked for spare change, but my wallet was like a ghost’s pockets.
Example 2: There was no food left in the pantry; it was like a ghost’s pockets.

42. As empty as a lighthouse in daytime

Meaning: Present but currently serving no active purpose.
What it conveys: Standing tall but unnecessary for the moment.
Example 1: The snowplows sat in the summer sun, as empty as a lighthouse in daytime.
Example 2: The outdoor heaters stood on the patio, as empty as a lighthouse in daytime.

43. Like a field after harvest

Meaning: Stripped of crops, flat, and resting.
What it conveys: Work completed, rest, and bare earth.
Example 1: The kitchen counter was clean and like a field after harvest once dinner was made.
Example 2: After weeks of festivals, the city park looked like a field after harvest.

44. As empty as an old birdcage

Meaning: Rusty, neglected, and missing song.
What it conveys: Nostalgia, old age, and quiet loneliness.
Example 1: The front porch felt as empty as an old birdcage without her rocking chair.
Example 2: The attic corner sat dusty and as empty as an old birdcage.

45. Like a sentence without verbs

Meaning: Incapable of action or movement.
What it conveys: Stagnation, confusion, and lack of life.
Example 1: Without a goal, his daily routine felt like a sentence without verbs.
Example 2: The meeting dragged on, feeling slow and like a sentence without verbs.

46. As empty as a mirror in the dark

Meaning: Existing but reflecting absolutely nothing.
What it conveys: Total blindness, hidden secrets, and deep voids.
Example 1: His expressionless face was as empty as a mirror in the dark.
Example 2: The unlit basement felt vast and as empty as a mirror in the dark.

47. Like a frame without a picture

Meaning: Outlining something but missing the core focus.
What it conveys: Missing heart, lacking definition, or incomplete beauty.
Example 1: A fancy resume without real skills is like a frame without a picture.
Example 2: The beautiful window looked out onto a brick wall, like a frame without a picture.

48. As empty as a stadium in winter

Meaning: Freezing, massive, and devoid of its usual roaring crowds.
What it conveys: Epic loneliness and seasonal abandonment.
Example 1: The beach boardwalk in January was as empty as a stadium in winter.
Example 2: The massive dining hall sat dark and as empty as a stadium in winter.

49. Like a drum before it’s struck

Meaning: Tense, silent, and waiting for impact.
What it conveys: High tension, silence, and latent power.
Example 1: The courtroom was completely still, like a drum before it’s struck.
Example 2: The air right before the lightning hit felt like a drum before it’s struck.

50. As empty as the space between stars

Meaning: Infinitely vast, cold, and completely open.
What it conveys: The ultimate cosmic emptiness; unmatched scale.
Example 1: The ocean at night felt as empty as the space between stars.
Example 2: When everyone left the chat, the digital room felt as empty as the space between stars.

Practical Exercise: Test Your Simile Skills!

Now that you have seen examples of similes, let’s see if you can identify and complete them on your own. Try answering these 10 quick questions!

Questions

Complete this sentence: The desert highway stretched out, as empty as a _____________.
Which word makes a phrase a simile: “and” or “like”?
True or False: “The room was a giant freezer” is a simile.
Complete this sentence: After the kids moved away, the house felt like an abandoned _____________.
What does the simile as empty as a ghost town convey?
Identify the simile: “She ran fast” or “She ran like the wind”.
Complete this sentence: My mind went blank during the test, leaving it like a blank _____________.
Fill in the blank: As empty _______ a mirror in the dark.
Why do creative writers use similes?
Create a simile for a wallet that has no money inside using the word like.

Answers and Explanations

Runway (or Ghost Town / Vacuum): Any word that shows vast, flat emptiness works perfectly here!
Like: Similes always use “like” or “as” to make a comparison.
False: This is a metaphor because it says the room was a freezer instead of saying it was like a freezer.
Nest: This conveys a gentle, parental feeling of a home that is now quiet.
A feeling of spooky silence where people used to live. It shows abandonment.
“She ran like the wind”: This compares her running to the wind using the word “like.”
Canvas (or Chalkboard): This shows that all information was completely wiped away.
As: The classic structure is as [adjective] as [noun].
To paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind and make their writing more exciting.
Example Answer: My wallet was like a ghost’s pockets. (Comparing a wallet to something empty using the word “like”).

Conclusion

Mastering how to use similes in writing is like adding spices to a meal. In simple terms, it takes something plain and makes it unforgettable. If you are describing a vast, lonely space that is as empty as the space between stars or a fresh start that looks like a blank canvas, similes bridge the gap between your imagination and your reader’s heart.

The next time you sit down to practice creative writing similes, don’t just settle for standard descriptions. Look around your world, find unique connections, and write your own simile sentences. Your readers will thank you for it!

Lila Prescott

I am Lila Prescott, the girl who turns heads without even trying. Every smile I flash tells a story, and every glance is a little spark you won’t forget. Life’s my playground, and I love making every moment a little more exciting. Catch my vibes and more at Harper Winslow where I let my playful side shine.