ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nobody

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi// UK //nˈəʊbɒdˌi// no·body General-service Informal

n. a person who is not famous or important in any way. You might use this to describe someone who has no power or influence in a group.

n. a person of no importance, influence, or social standing. Often used in a dismissive or derogatory manner to contrast with someone of high status.


SIMPLE

He was just a nobody before he won the lottery.

CONTEXTUAL

In a city full of celebrities, it is easy to feel like a nobody if you do not have a famous name.

COMPLEX

The protagonist begins the novel as a complete nobody, working a menial job in a small town, before a series of unlikely events thrusts him into the national spotlight.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English nobody, no-body, no body. By surface analysis, no (“none, not any”, adjective) + body (“one, person, individual”).

Usage

When used as a noun, it requires an article (a nobody) and can be pluralized (nobodies).

Pitfall

There was nobody in the room.There was no one in the room.While 'nobody' is usually a pronoun meaning 'no person', this noun sense refers specifically to a person's lack of importance.

© 2026 English Reference