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Added 5 October 2026

nothing

/ˈnʌθɪŋ/ pronoun

In Latin: nihil, nihilum Wiktionary

pronoun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about nothing at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Not any thing; no thing.
Don't just say nothing. Tell me what's going on.
An absence of anything, including empty space, brightness, darkness, matter, or a vacuum.

noun

Something trifling, or of no consequence or importance.
- What happened to your face?- It's nothing.
A trivial remark especially in the term sweet nothings.
A nobody (insignificant person).

adverb

Not at all; in no way.
Nothing too much out of the ordinary.
Used to dismiss a previous statement.
- Wait a moment.- Wait nothing! I'm going after them.

adjective

Completely unimportant.
Dallas scored on what had seemed until then like a nothing play.
Lacking effort or commitment.
The cricketer played a nothing shot.

Origin

From Middle English nothyng, noon thing, non thing, na þing, nan thing, nan þing, from Old English nāþing, nān þing (“nothing”, literally “not any thing”), equivalent to no + thing. Compare Old English nāwiht (“nothing”, literally “no thing”), Swedish ingenting (“nothing”, literally “not any thing, no thing”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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