nothing
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
Not anything; no single thing; the absence of all things.
Something of no importance, value, or significance; a zero quantity; a non-entity or person of no account.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a pronoun (functioning as an indefinite pronoun) but can be used as an adverb or noun. In negation, standard English uses 'nothing' rather than a double negative ('I see nothing', not 'I don't see nothing').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'nothing' identically. The phrase 'sweet nothings' is equally common. The intensifier 'absolutely nothing' is used in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical. Can convey emptiness, worthlessness, or negation depending on context.
Frequency
Extremely high and identical frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
V + nothing (transitive verb)There + be + nothingnothing + to-infinitivenothing + but + NPVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “nothing ventured, nothing gained”
- “sweet nothings”
- “like nothing on earth”
- “next to nothing”
- “in nothing flat”
- “have nothing on someone”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The market reaction was nothing to worry about.' Used to downplay concerns or indicate a zero result.
Academic
'The control group showed nothing of statistical significance.' Indicates a null result or absence of evidence.
Everyday
'There's nothing in the fridge.' Common negation of existence or possession.
Technical
'The function returns nothing (void).' In computing, indicates a procedure with no return value.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- 'Stop nothinging about and help me!' (informal, rare as verb, meaning 'to do nothing')
American English
- 'He's been nothinging all day.' (informal, rare as verb)
adverb
British English
- He looks nothing like his brother.
American English
- That is nothing close to the truth.
adjective
British English
- A nothing sort of day (informal, meaning uneventful).
American English
- She felt a nothing sensation (informal, meaning insignificant).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have nothing in my bag.
- She said nothing.
- There is nothing on the table.
- There's nothing more important than family.
- He did nothing but complain all day.
- I know nothing about art.
- The investigation yielded nothing of substance.
- Her promises amounted to nothing in the end.
- For all his bluster, he is nothing but a coward.
- The philosophical concept of nothing has puzzled thinkers for millennia.
- His apology was nothing if not effusive, yet it rang hollow.
- They reduced the complex issue to nothing more than a simple binary choice.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'no thing' squashed together: NO THING -> NOTHING. It literally means 'not a single thing'.
Conceptual Metaphor
NOTHING IS EMPTY SPACE / NOTHING IS WORTHLESS / NOTHING IS A ZERO QUANTITY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'nothing' after a negated verb (e.g., 'I don't know nothing' is non-standard). Use 'anything' in such cases: 'I don't know anything.'
- Do not confuse with 'nobody' (никто). 'Nothing' refers to things, 'nobody' to people.
- The phrase 'for nothing' can mean 'for free' or 'in vain', not just 'ни за что'.
Common Mistakes
- Using double negative: 'I didn't do nothing.' (Incorrect in standard English) -> 'I did nothing.' or 'I didn't do anything.'
- Confusing 'nothing like' with 'not like': 'It's nothing like the original' means it's very different, not simply 'not similar'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CORRECT standard English sentence?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is always treated as a singular pronoun: 'Nothing is wrong.' (not 'Nothing are wrong').
Yes, it often does: 'Nothing could prepare me for that shock.'
In standard English, use 'nothing' with a positive verb ('I see nothing') and 'anything' with a negated verb ('I don't see anything'). Using 'nothing' with a negated verb creates a non-standard double negative.
Yes, but informal. It means an insignificant thing or person: 'He went from being a nothing to a star overnight.'
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