Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

empty suit

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.34 in modern English

Syllables
emp-ty -suit
IPA
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An ineffective or incompetent person in a place of authority.

Derogatory; Slang

noun

A politician who has not fulfilled any campaign promises.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Derived from unfavorable observations that ineffective professionals are memorable only for their attire and not their accomplishments at the workplace. First use appears c. 1950 in the New York Times.

Usage

Inflected Forms

empty suits (plural)

Phrases

empty-suited Peter principle

Frequently Paired Words

Peter principle stuffed shirt

Questions

What does empty suit mean?
An ineffective or incompetent person in a place of authority.
Where does empty suit come from?
Derived from unfavorable observations that ineffective professionals are memorable only for their attire and not their accomplishments at the workplace. First use appears c. 1950 in the New York Times.

How to pronounce empty suit

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “empty suit”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “empty suit”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “empty suit” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.