empty responses

[ˈɛmpti rɪˈspɑnsɪz]
noun
respostas vazias
1. Replies or answers that lack substance, meaning, or useful information; responses that are devoid of content or fail to address the question posed
The politician gave empty responses to the journalist's tough questions.
O político deu respostas vazias às perguntas difíceis do jornalista.
2. In digital communication or computing, automated or null replies that do not contain relevant data or feedback
The server was returning empty responses, causing the application to crash.
O servidor estava retornando respostas vazias, causando a falha da aplicação.
3. Conversational replies that are superficial, evasive, or non-committal in nature
She kept giving empty responses when asked about her plans for the future.
Ela continuava dando respostas vazias quando perguntada sobre seus planos para o futuro.
In Brazilian business culture, empty responses are often seen as a sign of avoidance or lack of preparedness and can damage professional credibility. In American workplace contexts, they may indicate disengagement or lack of interest. Both cultures view empty responses negatively in formal settings, though in casual conversation they may be tolerated as a form of politeness or to buy time.
NYC Slang
dead air responses
Synonyms / Sinônimos
vague responsesmeaningless replieshollow answersnon-committal responsesevasive answers
Antonyms / Antônimos
substantive responsesmeaningful answersdetailed repliesinformative responsesconcrete answers

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
respostas vazias
Standard usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
respostas sem pé nem cabeça
Colloquial expression meaning literally 'responses without head or feet'
São Paulo
respostas sem conteúdo
More formal, business-oriented variant
Portugal
respostas vazias
Same as Brazilian Portuguese, though 'respostas ocas' is also used

Related Words

deflectionambiguitylack of substanceevasivenessnull responseplaceholder response

Related Idioms & Phrases

talking around the issue
giving someone the runaround
beating around the bush
sem tirar nem pôr
ficar na roda
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