noun · 5 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
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CMU ARPABET:N AH1 TH IH0 NG N AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A void; an emptiness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The quality of inconsequentiality; the lack of significance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
that's a lot of wind
don't give me any of that jazz
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: wind, malarkey, malarky, idle words, jazz
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: talk, talking
5
noun
Meaning 5
the state of nonexistence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: void, nullity, nihility
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: nonexistence, nonentity
Narrower terms: thin air
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English nothing Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English nothingness From nothing + -ness.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
небитие
(nebitie)
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Catalan:
no-res
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Finnish:
olemattomuus
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
French:
néant
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
German:
Nichtvorhandensein
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
German:
Nichts
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Hungarian:
nem létezés
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Italian:
nulla
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Macedonian:
неби́тие
(nebítie)
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Norwegian:
ingenting
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Norwegian Bokmål:
intet
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Polish:
nicość
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Portuguese:
vacuidade
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Russian:
тлен
(tlen)
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Spanish:
nihilidad
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
Turkish:
hiçlik
— state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing
