English Meaning & Definitions
Not anything; the absence of anything or any person.
- “There is nothing in the refrigerator.”
- “He said nothing when asked about the incident.”
A person or thing of no importance or significance.
- “He felt like a nothing in the eyes of his wealthy peers.”
- “The project was a nothing, destined to be forgotten.”
Not at all; in no degree.
- “The situation has changed nothing since last year.”
- “He looked nothing like his brother.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “nothing”.
Derived from Middle English 'nothing', 'nathing', a compound of 'no' and 'thing'. It reflects the Germanic construction of negating a noun by prefixing it with a negative particle, essentially meaning 'not a thing'.
Think of 'no-thing': literally, there is no thing present.
Frequently Asked Questions About “nothing”
1. What is the meaning of “nothing” in English?
In English, nothing (noun) is defined as: “Not anything; the absence of anything or any person.”.
2. How do you use “nothing” in a sentence?
“There is nothing in the refrigerator.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “nothing”?
Derived from Middle English 'nothing', 'nathing', a compound of 'no' and 'thing'. It reflects the Germanic construction of negating a noun by prefixing it with a negative particle, essentially meaning 'not a thing'.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.