'His death had left a big hole in all their lives' .
What does 'leave a big hole' mean and in what kind of things it can be used?

Question

'His death had left a big hole in all their lives' . 
What does 'leave a big hole' mean and in what kind of things it can be used?

Answer

It means a loss that cannot be regained.  The whole sentence can be translated as: 他的死,让他们的生活(仿佛被戳了洞似的)不再完整.