# nothing

/ˈnəθɪŋ/ (US) · /nˈʌθɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/nothing
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. not anything

pronoun · CEFR A1

not any thing; the absence of something.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. something unimportant

noun · CEFR B2

something that is not important or has no value.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. sweet nothings

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

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

For teachers: 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.

### 4. not at all

adverb · CEFR B1

not at all; used to emphasize that something is not like something else.

For teachers: 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.

### 5. never mind

interjection · CEFR B1 · Informal

you say this when you want someone to forget what you just said.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- There is nothing in the fridge for dinner.
- I looked everywhere for my keys but found nothing under the sofa or on the table.
- The witness claimed to have seen nothing unusual during the night, yet the forensic evidence suggested a significant struggle had occurred in the hallway.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.