nothing
nothing — adjective
- nothingpositive
- more nothingcomparative
- most nothingsuperlative
1. having no real value, meaning, or importance — used to describe an argument, com
having no real value, meaning, or importance — used to describe an argument, comment, or detail that feels empty or completely unimportant.
The meeting produced a nothing statement that everyone had already agreed on.
attributive use before a noun
After three hours of debate, they wrote a nothing agreement that satisfied nobody.
Élise dismissed his comment as a nothing remark not worth discussing.
The article was a nothing piece that added no new information to the debate.
- worthless
more direct and common; 'nothing' as an adjective is more dismissive and informal
- empty
emphasises lack of content rather than lack of value
- meaningless
similar but used more broadly; 'nothing' is more colloquial
- significant
opposite in terms of importance
- valuable
opposite in terms of worth
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively (before a noun). Common in informal criticism: 'a nothing movie', 'a nothing job'.
nothing — adverb
1. used before certain phrases to emphasise that a description is exactly true or t
used before certain phrases to emphasise that a description is exactly true or that something is not at all the case — for instance, a result being 'nothing less than a triumph' or a taste being 'nothing like coffee'.
The view from the mountain was nothing short of amazing.
nothing short of — for emphasising how strong a quality is
This instant soup tastes nothing like the homemade version my grandmother made.
Constanza's recovery was nothing less than a miracle, according to the doctors.
The new building looks nothing like the architect's original drawings.
- not at all
more general and flexible; 'nothing like/less than' is more idiomatic
- in no way
similar meaning but different grammatical structure
文法句型
nothing + like/less than/short of
用法筆記
This sense always appears in set phrases: 'nothing short of', 'nothing less than', 'nothing like'. It does not stand alone as a general adverb.
nothing — noun
- nothingsingular
- nothingsplural
1. a person who is thought to have no ability, value, or importance in society.
a person who is thought to have no ability, value, or importance in society.
The old man's colleagues treated him like a nothing after he retired.
countable noun: a nothing
Selim refused to be treated as a nothing by his so-called friends.
In a company full of famous designers, the junior artist felt like a nothing.
Gita left the job because her boss made her feel like a complete nothing.
- somebody
a person of importance or status
文法句型
be a nothing
用法筆記
Always used with an article ('a nothing') or in the phrase 'like a nothing'. Strongly derogatory — can be offensive when used about someone directly.
nothing — pronoun
1. not a single thing; no object, idea, action, or event of a particular type exist
not a single thing; no object, idea, action, or event of a particular type exists or is present.
Eri opened the fridge but found nothing she wanted to eat.
nothing + relative clause
There was nothing in the envelope except a blank piece of paper.
Anong said nothing during the whole two-hour meeting.
Jin has nothing planned for the summer, so he might travel around Taiwan.
Liam looked everywhere in the house but found nothing wrong.
- not anything
emphatic form used especially with 'did not' or 'do not'
- zero
informal, used for emphasis in counting or measuring
- everything
all things; the opposite of nothing
- something
an unspecified thing
文法句型
nothing + to-infinitive
nothing + relative clause
常見錯誤
2. used to tell someone that a matter is private or that they have no right to ask
used to tell someone that a matter is private or that they have no right to ask about it.
"Where I go on holiday is nothing to do with you," said Christopher.
nothing to do with you — telling someone it is private
It is none of your business how much money Gabriel earns each month.
Amani asked about the divorce, but Élise told her that was nothing to her.
Zola's private life is nothing to do with her colleagues at work.
- none of your business
more direct and slightly ruder; a fixed phrase
- not your concern
slightly more formal than 'nothing to do with you'
文法句型
nothing to do with + noun
be nothing to + noun
用法筆記
Common in informal refusals to answer: 'That's nothing to do with you' or 'None of your business' (more direct, slightly ruder).
3. used to say that someone or something is not involved in, related to, or respons
used to say that someone or something is not involved in, related to, or responsible for something else.
The accident had nothing to do with the icy road conditions.
have nothing to do with + noun
Christopher's decision was based on his healthcare needs and had nothing to do with cost.
The strange smell in the kitchen has nothing to do with the fish you bought.
Anong insisted that her leaving had nothing to do with the argument last Friday.
- unrelated to
more formal; 'have nothing to do with' is the idiomatic everyday version
- irrelevant to
focuses on lack of relevance rather than lack of involvement
- related to
connected or associated with
文法句型
have nothing to do with + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS): sense 2 is about privacy and the right to know; sense 3 is about factual lack of involvement or causation.
4. used to say that something is not important, valuable, or worth worrying about.
used to say that something is not important, valuable, or worth worrying about.
To Gita, the critics' opinions mean nothing compared to her audience's response.
mean nothing — for importance comparison
The team's early lead counted for nothing after they lost in the final minute.
All those worries amount to nothing when you look at the big picture.
Years of expensive training meant nothing to Selim when the factory closed down.
- unimportant
more direct; 'nothing' in this sense is more idiomatic and emphatic
- valueless
stronger, implying zero worth; less common in everyday speech
- everything
something of the highest importance
文法句型
mean nothing to + noun
count for nothing
be nothing to + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs like 'mean', 'count', 'amount to' to express lack of value. Can be softened with 'almost' or 'nearly'.
5. used to say that something is given or done without the person having to pay; fr
used to say that something is given or done without the person having to pay; free of charge.
Children got into the museum for nothing on the first Sunday of each month.
for nothing — meaning free of charge
Zola repaired the old radio for her neighbour for nothing, just for fun.
The hotel offered us breakfast for nothing as part of the weekend package.
Constanza got a free ticket for the concert through a friend, so she went for nothing.
- free
more direct and common; 'for nothing' is slightly more informal
- free of charge
more formal; common in official contexts
- at a cost
requiring payment
文法句型
for nothing
用法筆記
Always appears in the phrase 'for nothing' in this sense. Can also appear in 'get something for nothing', implying getting a benefit without effort or cost.
常見錯誤
6. used when an effort, plan, or attempt produces no useful outcome or reward.
used when an effort, plan, or attempt produces no useful outcome or reward.
Eri tried for months to fix the old car, but all her effort came to nothing.
come to nothing — effort producing no result
All our careful planning was for nothing when the city cancelled the event.
The police search for the missing hiker went on for a week but came to nothing.
Gabriel waited for two hours, but it was all for nothing — he never showed up.
- in vain
more formal; 'for nothing' is the everyday equivalent
- to no avail
formal; used in written narratives
- successfully
producing the desired outcome
文法句型
come to nothing
be for nothing
用法筆記
Common in two fixed phrases: 'come to nothing' (plans/efforts fail to produce a result) and 'be for nothing' (effort was wasted). Distinguish from sense 5 (WITHOUT PAYMENT) where 'for nothing' means 'free'.
7. used to describe a person who is not wearing any clothes on their body.
used to describe a person who is not wearing any clothes on their body.
The statue showed a man with nothing on except a strip of cloth around his waist.
with nothing on — describing not wearing clothes
Jin felt shy walking across the room with nothing on.
The baby ran out of the bath with nothing on, laughing and dripping water everywhere.
The model wore nothing but a thin layer of white paint for the photoshoot.
- dressed
wearing clothes
文法句型
wear/have nothing on
with nothing on
用法筆記
Used in the phrases 'wearing nothing', 'have nothing on', or 'with nothing on'. Less direct and more polite than 'naked' in many contexts.
8. used to say that a person has no social commitments, tasks, or plans for a parti
used to say that a person has no social commitments, tasks, or plans for a particular period of time.
"What are you doing this weekend?" "Nothing special — just relaxing at home."
nothing in reply to 'what are you doing'
Selim has nothing planned for the summer break, so he might take a last-minute trip.
There is nothing on my calendar for next Tuesday, so I can meet you for lunch.
Liam asked what we were doing tonight, and I told him nothing in particular.
- nothing much
softer, more casual; implies minor tasks rather than no tasks at all
- free
describes the person's availability rather than absence of plans
- busy
having many plans or commitments
文法句型
have nothing planned
nothing on + time period
用法筆記
Common in everyday conversation. 'I have nothing on [day]' means no appointments. 'Nothing much' is a very common informal reply to 'What's up?' or 'What are you doing?'.