nothing
- 01 A1 Beginner
pron.not any thing; the absence of something.
pron.not any thing; used to indicate the complete absence of an object, event, or thought.
Simple“I opened the fridge but there was nothing to eat for dinner.”
In context“The detective searched the apartment thoroughly but found nothing that could link the suspect to the crime scene.”
PitfallI didn't see nothing. I saw nothing.In standard English, avoid using 'nothing' with another negative like 'didn't' because it creates a double negative.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that is not important or has no value.
n.a person or thing of no importance, value, or consequence.
Simple“Don't worry about the broken glass; it is nothing.”
In context“To a billionaire, a thousand dollars is a mere nothing, yet to a struggling student, it represents a significant fortune.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.kind or romantic words that do not have a serious meaning.
n.trivial or affectionate remarks, typically whispered between lovers.
Simple“The couple sat on the park bench whispering sweet nothings to each other.”
In context“He spent the evening whispering sweet nothings into her ear, though his actions later proved his words were insincere.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
adv.not at all; used to emphasize that something is not like something else.
adv.not at all; in no way. Often used in comparative structures like 'nothing like' or 'nothing near'.
Simple“The new movie is nothing like the book I read last year.”
In context“The actual cost of the renovation was nothing like the original estimate provided by the contractor.”
- 05 B1 Intermediate
interj.you say this when you want someone to forget what you just said.
interj.used to dismiss a previous statement as unimportant or to tell someone to disregard a request.
Simple“Oh, nothing—I thought I saw a spider, but it was just a piece of dust.”
In context“When she asked what he was muttering about, he simply replied, 'Nothing,' and turned back to his work.”
Synonyms
Usage nothing else · nothing wrong · nothing like
From Middle English nothyng, noon thing, non thing, na þing, nan thing, nan þing, from Old English nāþing, nān þing (“nothing”, literally “not any thing”), equivalent to no + thing. Compare Old English nāwiht (“nothing”, literally “no thing”), Swedish ingenting (“nothing”, literally “not any thing, no thing”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.