Vacant is an adjective describing a space or position that is unoccupied or empty, or a person’s expression or demeanor showing a lack of attention or awareness. It implies absence of occupants or activity and can convey emptiness, availability, or disuse in various contexts.
"The office will be vacant next week while the staff relocate."
"He wore a vacant smile that suggested he wasn’t really listening."
"The lot remained vacant after the sale fell through."
"She stared out the window with a vacant, faraway look.”"
Vacant comes from the Latin vacāns, vacāre meaning 'to be empty' or 'to be emptying.' Vacant is formed from vacāre (to be empty) plus the participial suffix -ant, used in English to form adjectives. The Latin root vacus (empty) lies behind related English terms such as vacuum, evacuate, and vacation (note: vacation shares the sense of freeing or emptying time, though its meaning shifted in English to a period of leisure). The word entered Old French as vacant, before passing into Middle English. In early modern usage, vacant often described physical space (a vacant seat or room). By the 19th and 20th centuries, broadened senses emerged, including the metaphorical “vacant stare” or “vacant expression,” illustrating a lack of mental presence. First known English attestations appear in the 14th-15th centuries, with continuous usage across literature and official language to denote emptiness or unoccupied status, later expanding to abstract senses of lack of engagement or attention.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Vacant" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Vacant"
-ant sounds
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Pronounce as VAC-ant, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈveɪ.kənt/. Start with the long A sound /veɪ/ as in wait, then a light, unstressed /kənt/ with a schwa in the second syllable: /kənt/. Visualize the mouth opening for /eɪ/, then a gentle stop /k/ followed by a relaxed /ə/ and clear /nt/.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying either va-CANT or vac-ANT. Keep primary stress on VAC. (2) Lengthening or mispronouncing the second syllable: avoid a strong e.g., 'vee-chant' or 'va-cent'—the second syllable should be a quick /kənt/ with a reduced vowel. Answer focuses on reducing to a quick unstressed /kənt/ and maintaining /veɪ/ at the start.
In US/UK/AU, the first syllable carries the primary stress /ˈveɪ/; the vowel in the second syllable is a reduced schwa /ə/ in most speakers. Differences: rhoticity slight in some US dialects may affect vowel quality subtly but does not alter the syllable stress. The overall rhythm remains trochaic. AU tends toward shorter, crisper /ənt/; UK often keeps a slightly clearer /ə/ but still reduced. In all, /ˈveɪ.kənt/ dominates.
The challenge lies in the quick, unstressed second syllable containing a reduced vowel /ə/ followed by /nt/. Learners often mispronounce as /ˈveɪ.kænt/ or merge /k/ and /t/ into /nt/ differently. Another pitfall is shifting to a secondary stress on the second syllable or elongating /eɪ/ into /eɪ.kən t/. Focus on an accurate /ˈveɪ/ and a fast, light /kənt/, with clear but short /ə/.
Yes: the word maintains strong initial stress with a quick, clipped second syllable. The /ə/ is a reduced vowel, not a full glottal or schwa in all cases, and some speakers may produce a near-schwa /ɪ/ or a slight /ɒ/ in non-native accents. The essential feature is keeping the first vowel as a clear /eɪ/ diphthong and ensuring the second syllable stays short and unstressed.
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