diff --git a/include/collection.h b/include/collection.h
index 2033c9b3..76f278b5 100644
--- a/include/collection.h
+++ b/include/collection.h
@@ -229,8 +229,8 @@ struct synonym_t {
             return Option<bool>(400, "Could not find an array of `synonyms`");
         }
 
-        for(const auto & synonym: synonym_json["synonyms"]) {
-            if(!synonym.is_string()) {
+        for(const auto& synonym: synonym_json["synonyms"]) {
+            if(!synonym.is_string() || synonym == "") {
                 return Option<bool>(400, "Could not find a valid string array of `synonyms`");
             }
 
diff --git a/test/collection_synonyms_test.cpp b/test/collection_synonyms_test.cpp
index 15f040c1..efe69fdd 100644
--- a/test/collection_synonyms_test.cpp
+++ b/test/collection_synonyms_test.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,17 @@ TEST_F(CollectionSynonymsTest, SynonymParsingFromJson) {
     ASSERT_FALSE(syn_op.ok());
     ASSERT_STREQ("Could not find an array of `synonyms`", syn_op.error().c_str());
 
+    // empty string in synonym list
+    nlohmann::json syn_json_bad_type4 = {
+        {"id", "syn-1"},
+        {"root", "Ocean"},
+        {"synonyms", {""} }
+    };
+
+    syn_op = synonym_t::parse(syn_json_bad_type4, synonym);
+    ASSERT_FALSE(syn_op.ok());
+    ASSERT_STREQ("Could not find a valid string array of `synonyms`", syn_op.error().c_str());
+
     // root bad type
 
     nlohmann::json syn_json_root_bad_type = {