English Reference

Word

nothing

Phoneticsnoth·ing, stress on the first syllable

US/ˈnəθɪŋ/

UK/nˈʌθɪŋ/

Definitions

01not anything

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.

“I opened the fridge but there was nothing to eat for dinner.”

“The detective searched the apartment thoroughly but found nothing that could link the suspect to the crime scene.”

Pitfall

I 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.

Synonyms

02something unimportant

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. something that is not important or has no value.

n. a person or thing of no importance, value, or consequence.

“Don't worry about the broken glass; it is nothing.”

“To a billionaire, a thousand dollars is a mere nothing, yet to a struggling student, it represents a significant fortune.”

Synonyms

triflenonentity

Antonyms

03sweet nothings

C1 · Advanced Plural noun Literary

n. kind or romantic words that do not have a serious meaning.

n. trivial or affectionate remarks, typically whispered between lovers.

“The couple sat on the park bench whispering sweet nothings to each other.”

“He spent the evening whispering sweet nothings into her ear, though his actions later proved his words were insincere.”

Synonyms

04not at all

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'.

“The new movie is nothing like the book I read last year.”

“The actual cost of the renovation was nothing like the original estimate provided by the contractor.”

Synonyms

nowisehardly

Antonyms

05never mind

B1 · Intermediate Informal

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.

“Oh, nothing—I thought I saw a spider, but it was just a piece of dust.”

“When she asked what he was muttering about, he simply replied, 'Nothing,' and turned back to his work.”

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “nothing” in context.

01. nothing else 02. nothing wrong 03. nothing like 04. nothing new 05. nothing ever 06. nothing less 07. nothing to hide

Real-World Examples

“Using a vacuum of infinite negative curvature may open up new ways to think about how the universe was born from nothing, or how it might end up as nothing.”
New Scientist 1 Apr 2025
“The question of why there is “something” instead of “nothing” truly keeps me awake many nights – but I draw solace from knowing that thinkers have wrestled with this topic for perhaps as long as there have been thinkers to wrestle with it.”
New Scientist 8 Nov 2024

Etymology

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.

Word family

Related words

Idioms

Grammar

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Very common
Level
A1 · BeginnerOxford
Updated

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