naught
n. C2 Proficiency US //ˈnɔt// UK //nˈɔːt// naught
n. nothing at all. You use this word to show that there is no value or amount of something.
n. nothing; zero. Archaic in modern usage, though it persists in specific idiomatic expressions like 'for naught'.
He worked hard for naught.
The thief spent hours trying to open the safe, only to find that all his efforts were for naught.
The ancient text suggests that the king's final attempt to reclaim his lost kingdom was for naught, as the kingdom had already been destroyed by the invading forces.
From the Middle English naught, nought, naht, nawiht, from Old English nawiht. Cognate with West Frisian neat (“nothing, naught”). Doublet of nought. Equivalent to ne + aught.