empty vs substantial

empty

adj
  • Destitute of reality, or real existence; unsubstantial. 

  • Containing no elements (as of a string, array, or set), opposed to being null (having no valid value). 

  • Not pregnant; not producing offspring when expected to do so during the breeding season. 

  • Destitute of, or lacking, sense, knowledge, or courtesy. 

  • Unable to satisfy; hollow; vain. 

  • Destitute of effect, sincerity, or sense; said of language. 

  • Devoid of content; containing nothing or nobody; vacant. 

  • Having nothing to carry, emptyhanded; unburdened. 

verb
  • To make empty; to void; to remove the contents of. 

  • Of a river, duct, etc: to drain or flow toward an ultimate destination. 

noun
  • A container, especially a bottle, whose contents have been used up, leaving it empty. 

substantial

adj
  • Not imaginary; real; actual; true; veritable. 

  • Most important; essential. 

  • Having a substance; actually existing. 

  • Corporeal; material; firm. 

  • Possessed of goods or an estate; moderately wealthy. 

  • Satisfying; having sufficient substance to be nourishing or filling. 

  • Large in size, quantity, or value; ample; significant. 

  • Having good substance; strong; stout; solid; firm. 

noun
  • Anything having substance; an essential part. 

How often have the words empty and substantial occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )