aught

/ɔ:t/

Thân thiện

It was all for naught.

Definition

1. Pronoun (Archaic):

   • Anything, whatever: Used to refer to any thing or amount, however small or great. This usage is now largely obsolete in modern English.
   • Nothing, zero: In some contexts, particularly in phrases like "for aught I know," it can imply an absence of knowledge or certainty, though the word itself means "anything."

2. Noun:

   • Zero, nothing, naught: A quantity of no importance; a cipher. This meaning is a variant spelling of "naught" and is used to signify the digit 0 or a complete lack of something.

Examples of Usage

• Pronoun (Archaic):

  • If you have aught to declare, please inform the customs officer. (If you have anything to declare, please inform the customs officer.)
  • Aught that he said was met with skepticism. (Anything that he said was met with skepticism.)

• Noun:

  • His efforts came to aught. (His efforts came to nothing.)
  • The score was thirty to aught. (The score was thirty to zero.)

Advanced Usage

• "for aught I know" / "for aught I care": Archaic phrases meaning "as far as I know" or "as far as I am concerned," often implying indifference or lack of definite knowledge.
  • He could be in Timbuktu, for aught I know. (He could be in Timbuktu, as far as I know.)
  • You can leave for all I care, for aught I care. (You can leave for all I care, as far as I am concerned.)

Variants and Related Words

• Naught (n): The more common modern spelling for "nothing" or "zero."
  • All his plans came to naught. (All his plans came to nothing.)
• Ought (v, auxiliary): A verb (or auxiliary verb) meaning "should." This is a distinct word, though it sounds identical in some dialects.
  • You ought to see a doctor. (You should see a doctor.)

Synonyms

• Anything (for the archaic pronoun sense).
• Nothing, zero, nil, naught, zilch (for the noun sense).

Related Phrases

• Go for aught: To be of no use or value; to come to nothing.
  • All our careful planning went for aught. (All our careful planning came to nothing.)

Notes on Usage

• The pronoun sense of aught (meaning "anything") is considered archaic and is rarely used in contemporary speech or writing, except in fixed, proverbial phrases or historical contexts.
• The noun sense (meaning "zero/nothing") is a variant of naught. In modern English, naught is the preferred spelling for this meaning, though aught is still understood, especially in certain dialects or set phrases.
• Do not confuse aught with ought (meaning "should"). They are homophones but have completely different meanings and grammatical functions.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a quantity of no importance
   • it looked like nothing I had ever seen before
   • reduced to nil all the work we had done
   • we racked up a pathetic goose egg
   • it was all for naught
   • I didn't hear zilch about it