ringing hollow

Verb

ring hollow (third-person singular simple present rings hollow, present participle ringing hollow, simple past rang hollow, past participle rung hollow)

1. (idiomatic) To seem to be false or implausible; to be unconvincing.
   • In his own ears the words he spoke rang hollow, awkward, even impertinent. He could say nothing which did not seem hideously supercilious.1901, W. Somerset Maugham, chapter 9, in The Hero

   Synonyms:

   ring false