nothing: Meaning and Definition of

noth•ing

1. no thing; not anything; naught: to say nothing.
2. no part, share, or trace (usually fol. by of&hasp;): The house showed nothing of its former magnificence.
3. something that is nonexistent.
4. nonexistence; nothingness: The sound faded to nothing.
5. something or someone of no importance or significance: Money is nothing when you're without health.
6. a trivial action, matter, circumstance, thing, or remark: to exchange a few nothings when being introduced.
7. a person of little or no importance; a nobody.
8. something that is without quantity or magnitude.
9. a cipher or naught: Nothing from nine leaves nine.
10. (used in conventional responses to expressions of thanks): Think nothing of it. It's nothing. Nothing to it.
11. They had gone to a great deal of expense for nothing.
1. free of charge.
2. for no apparent reason or motive.
3. futilely; to no avail:They had gone to a great deal of expense for nothing.
12. in very little time: Dinner was finished in nothing flat.
13. He could make nothing of the complicated directions.
1. to treat lightly; regard as easy.
2. to be unsuccessful in comprehending:He could make nothing of the complicated directions.
14. nothing other than; only: We could see nothing but fog.
15. We drove through the town but there seemed to be nothing doing.
1. Informal.emphatically no; certainly not.
2. no activity, inducement, advantage, etc., present to the eye:We drove through the town but there seemed to be nothing doing.
16. absolutely; completely: She was used to nothing less than the best.
17. He thinks nothing of lying to conceal his incompetence.
1. to treat casually.
2. to regard as insignificant:He thinks nothing of lying to conceal his incompetence.

1. in no respect or degree; not at all: It was nothing like that. Nothing dismayed, he repeated his question.

1. amounting to nothing, as in offering no prospects for satisfaction, advancement, or the like: She was stuck in a nothing job.