pron.
- No thing; not anything: The box contained nothing. I've heard nothing about it.
- No part; no portion: Nothing remains of the old house but the cellar hole.
- One of no consequence, significance, or interest: The new nonsmoking policy is nothing to me.
- Something that has no existence.
- Something that has no quantitative value; zero: a score of two to nothing.
- One that has no substance or importance; a nonentity: "A nothing is a dreadful thing to hold onto" (Edna O'Brien).
Insignificant or worthless: "the utterly nothing role of a wealthy suitor" (Bosley Crowther).
adv.
In no way or degree; not at all: She looks nothing like her sister.
idioms:
for nothing
- Free of charge.
- To no avail: all that trouble for nothing.
- For no reason: fired him for nothing.
- In very little time; very quickly.
- Certainly not.
[Middle English, from Old English nāthing : nā, no; see no2 + thing, thing; see thing.]
USAGE NOTE According to the traditional rule, nothing is invariably treated as a singular, even when followed by an exception phrase containing a plural noun: Nothing except your fears stands (not stand) in your way. Nothing but roses meets (not meet) the eye. See Usage Notes at none.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
