| ring hollow to seem dishonest, not true, or wrong. The Rockets sounded like a defeated team — they talked of the possibility of a comeback, but the words rang hollow. Her characters and situations all ring false and her movie just seems painful and pointless. Usage notes: often used in the forms a hollow ring or a false ring - a dishonest or not sincere quality: Her story about the hostages is certainly exciting, but it has a hollow ring. Opposite of: ring true |