empty nester


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Wikipedia.
Related to empty nester: empty nest syndrome
Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!

empty nester

A parent whose children have moved out of the home. When our youngest goes off to college next year, we'll officially be empty nesters.
See also: empty, nester
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

an empty nester

An empty nester is a parent whose children have left home. I'm trying to prepare myself for becoming an empty nester when my youngest child goes to university.
See also: an, empty, nester
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

empty nester

a person whose children have grown up and left home. informal
See also: empty, nester
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

empty-nesters

n. parents whose children have grown and moved out. There are a few adjustments that empty-nesters have to make.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

empty nest, empty nester

A home from which the grown children have moved out, leaving some unoccupied bedrooms; also, the parent(s) in such a home. The term has also given rise to “empty nest syndrome,” the feelings of sadness engendered by the situation. An NBC sitcom entitled Empty Nest aired from 1988 to 1995. The expression dates from the second half of the 1900s.
See also: empty, nester
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
See also:
References in periodicals archive ?
We now have "helicopter parents" who hover over every move their child makes, "boomerang babies" for children who treat their parents' homes less like an empty nest and more like a revolving door, and "half-full nests," which are empty nesters whose time is filled by parents who need care.
Empty nest syndrome: not always a bad thing
Minneapolis-based Pillsbury launched a nationwide marketing campaign designed to help Empty Nesters adjust to cooking, buying and organizing meals for a smaller household.
Power of two: Empty Nesters make a growing and fertile market niche. They love to cook and shop for food
The number of empty nesters per village was determined according to proportional probability sampling.
The depression status of empty nesters in eastern rural China
Rhoades advises empty nesters not to rush into any move, especially one that puts them in a very different type of living situation.
RE/MAX Brokers See More Empty Nesters in Metro Chicago Real Estate Market Seeking out Urban Amenities When It's Time to Downsize
Startup families, younger and older bustling families, and empty nesters are specially enthusiastic buyers, pointing to a greater willingness to sample exotic varieties and share them while entertaining.
Nielsen's Shelf Stoppers /Spotlight
Whether it's empty nesters returning to the habit after the kids leave or law enforcement choosing to look the other way, something different is in the air."
Retirement (literally) up in smoke
Empty nesters are already beginning to move into smaller units in manageable urban neighborhoods with amenities and public transportation, he explains.
Smart growth: a tale of two cities in Maryland and Virginia
"I've been surprised by the number of people who are empty nesters and still wanting that bigger house or new house with everything they want."
North Bay experiencing building boom not seen in 20 years
It may seem like a lot of detail work, but Honda is hoping the reach of the new CR-V extends beyond the young families and empty nesters that buy the current model to include young professionals in need of a comfortable, stylish small SUV.
The 7-percent solution: for the third generation of the CR-V, Honda threw away the box and the idea that entry-level SUVs have to be boring or basic
We empty nesters, age 60, married 38 years--moved from Northern Virginia to Lopez Island, Washington, where I do the same work (editing financial newsletters and research reports) via the Internet.
The Mobility Myth
After all, many baby boomers are now empty nesters looking for upscale townhouses on the edge of a growing campus and just down the street from a growing medical center.
'Collegetowns' popping up all over: today, these towns are being built proactively, with strategic alliances in mind
Empty nesters are expected to have a major impact on the restaurant industry, according to NPD Group.
Empty nesters to have heavy impact on restaurant industry
Trends in the food industry used to be driven by family-oriented needs, but as baby boomers become empty nesters, other values are coming into play, such as excitement, convenience, and health.
Food gets fancier, faster, fresher
Of the 17,162,249 empty nesters in Britain, Stena found that a vast majority are rediscovering their independence, as children move out and retirement is taken early.
the essentials: New holiday choices
IN CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS, WHICH JUMP-STARTED the holiday movie season this year, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen play a couple of empty nesters trying to opt out of the clutter and expense of Christmas by skipping town on a cruise.
Forget home for the holidays: the best Christmas movies challenge our traditional ideas of the holiday and remind us what the birth of Christ really means in our lives
Idioms browser ?
Full browser ?