Word
nothingness
Phoneticsnoth·ing·ness, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈnəθɪŋnəs/
UK/nˈʌθɪŋnəs/
Definitions
01nonexistence
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Philosophy Academic
n. the state of not existing or being nothing.
n. the state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing or having no being.
Español:nihilidad
“Some people fear that death is simply a return to nothingness.”
“The philosopher argued that the concept of nothingness is essential to understanding the nature of being itself.”
Synonyms
02a void or emptiness
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Literary
n. a large space that contains nothing; a total void.
n. a physical or metaphorical void; a state of absolute emptiness.
Español:nihilidad
“He stared out into the black nothingness of the desert night.”
“The astronaut gazed into the vast nothingness of deep space, feeling small against the infinite dark.”
Antonyms
03lack of importance
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary · Formal
n. the quality of having no importance or meaning.
n. the quality of inconsequentiality or a total lack of significance.
“She felt a sense of nothingness when she realized her hard work was ignored.”
“The critic dismissed the novel, claiming its themes were reduced to mere nothingness by the author's shallow prose.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Information enters my brain and then sizzles into nothingness, like water evaporating from a hot pan.” “The stresses and expectations of a modern life seem to demand an antidote of, well, nothingness.” Etymology
From nothing + -ness.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/nothingness
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0