Standard Lemma guide

aught

adv · noun · num · pron · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • ôt
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɔːt/
  • Australian, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard: /oːt/
  • Scotland: /ɔt/
  • US: /ɔt/ without the cot–caught merger
  • US: non-cot-caught Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • ät
  • US, cot-caught-merger: /ɑt/
  • Canada: /ɒt/
  • rhymes with -ɔːt
  • homophone: ought
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

At all, in any degree, in any respect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Whit, the smallest part, iota.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bit, jot, ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, crumb, glimpse, dab, damn, dash, diddly, glint, dot, spatter, drop, dusting, fleck, glimmer, hint, flip, flyspeck, grain, halfpennyworth, inch, iota, lick, mite, modicum, molecule, morceau, morsel, mote, ooch, ounce, particle, pennyworth, piece, pinch, relish, scantling, semblance, scent, scintilla, scooch, scrap, scruple, shred, skerrick, skoosh, skosh, sliver, smattering, smidge, smidgen, smidget, smidgy, smitch, smithereen, soupçon, spark, speck, speckle, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, tad, tidbit, tidge, tinge, tittle, toddick, touch, trace, trifle, tuppence worth, vestige, whiff, whit

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Zero.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: proscribed, sometimes

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The digit zero.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Estimation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: regional, uncountable

Examples

  • in my aught

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Of importance or consequence (in the phrase "of aught").

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: regional, uncountable

Examples

  • an event of aught

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Esteem, respect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, rare, regional, uncountable

Examples

  • a man of aught
  • Show some aught to your elders, boy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

num

Meaning 8

Obsolete or dialectal form of eight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, dialectal, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

pron

Meaning 9

Anything whatsoever, any part.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, dialectal

Examples

  • for aught I know/care

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

Obsolete or dialectal form of ought

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, dialectal, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a quantity of no importance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it looked like nothing I had ever seen before
  • reduced to nil all the work we had done
  • we racked up a pathetic goose egg
  • it was all for naught
  • I didn't hear zilch about it

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nothing, nil, nix, nada, null, cipher, cypher, goose egg, naught, zero, zilch, zip, zippo

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: relative quantity

Narrower terms: nihil, bugger all, fuck all, Fanny Adams, sweet Fanny Adams

History

Etymology

From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at wight.

Rebracketing of a naught.

From Middle English aught (“estimation, regard, reputation”), from Old English ǣht (“estimation, consideration”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahtu. Cognate with Dutch acht (“attention, regard, heed”), German Acht (“attention, regard”). Also see ettle.

From Middle English ahte, from Old English eahta (“eight”). More at eight.

Originally the past tense of owe.