Definition

1. Pronoun:

   • Not anything; no single thing: Used to indicate the absence of all things, objects, or matters.
   • Something of no importance, value, or significance: Used to refer to a person, thing, or event considered trivial or worthless.

2. Noun:

   • Zero; a quantity of zero: The number or figure 0.
   • Something that is nonexistent or has no existence: The concept of non-being.
   • A person or thing of no importance or consequence: Often used dismissively.

3. Adverb:

   • Not at all; in no way: Used to emphasize that something is not the case to any degree.

Usage Examples

• Pronoun:

  • I have nothing to say about that. (I do not have any single thing to say.)
  • There's nothing in the refrigerator. (There is not any food or drink inside.)

• Noun:

  • The score was nothing to nothing. (The score was zero to zero.)
  • His promises amounted to nothing. (His promises had no real value or result.)

• Adverb:

  • He looks nothing like his father. (He does not resemble his father in any way.)
  • This is nothing like what I ordered. (This is completely different from my order.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be nothing but": to be only; to be merely.

  • He is nothing but a liar. (He is only a liar and nothing more.)

• "for nothing":

  • Without payment; free: I got this ticket for nothing.
  • Without success or result; in vain: All our hard work was for nothing.
  • Without reason or purpose: They argued for nothing.

• "to come to nothing": to fail; to not succeed or materialize.

  • Their ambitious plans came to nothing. (Their plans failed completely.)

• "nothing doing": used to express a firm refusal or that something is not happening.

  • "Can you lend me some money?" "Nothing doing!"

Variants and Related Words

• Nothingness (n): The state of being nothing; nonexistence.

  • The universe emerged from a state of nothingness.

• Sweet nothings (n phrase): Loving or affectionate words that are trivial in meaning.

  • He whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Synonyms

• Zero (n): The number 0; nothing.
• Nil (n): Nothing, especially as a score.
• Naught (n): Nothing (archaic or formal).
• Zilch (n): Informal term for nothing.
• None (pron): Not any.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Good-for-nothing (adj/n): Lazy and worthless.

  • He was dismissed as a good-for-nothing. (This is a compound word listed here as a variant.)

• Next to nothing: Almost nothing; a very small amount.

  • I know next to nothing about physics.

• Nothing ventured, nothing gained: If you do not take risks, you will not achieve anything.

  • I decided to apply for the job—nothing ventured, nothing gained.

• To have nothing on someone:

  • To have no evidence against someone: The police have nothing on the suspect.
  • To be not as good as someone: This new phone has nothing on my old one.

• To make nothing of:

  • To treat as unimportant: He made nothing of his injuries.
  • To fail to understand: I can make nothing of this ancient text.

Adverb

1. in no respect; to no degree
   • he looks nothing like his father

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