英语词汇“nothing”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

nothing

(nʌθɪŋ )

Word forms: nothings

1. pronoun A2

Nothing means not a single thing, or not a single part of something.

I've done nothing much since coffee time.

The man knows nothing of history or sociology. [+ of]

He was dressed in jeans and nothing else.

There is nothing wrong with the car.

2. pronoun B1+

You use nothing to indicate that something or someone is not important or significant.

Because he had always had money, it meant nothing to him.

This cold snap is nothing compared to a real winter.

She kept bursting into tears over nothing at work.

Do our years together mean nothing?

Nothing is also a noun.

It is the picture itself that is the problem; so small, so dull. It's a nothing, really.

All it took was a word here, a word there, to convince him that he was a nothing.

3. pronoun A2

If you say that something cost nothing or is worth nothing, you are indicating that it cost or is worth a surprisingly small amount of money.

The furniture was threadbare; he'd obviously picked it up for nothing.

His net UK estate was worth nothing after debts were taken into account.

4. pronoun B2

You use nothing before an adjective or an infinitive to say that something or someone does not have the quality indicated.

Around the lake the countryside generally is nothing special.

There was nothing remarkable about him.

All kids her age do silly things; it's nothing to worry about.

5. pronoun

You can use nothing before 'so' and an adjective or adverb, or before a comparative, to emphasize how strong or great a particular quality is. [emphasis]

Youngsters learn nothing so fast as how to beat the system.

I consider nothing more important in my life than songwriting.

There's nothing better than a good cup of hot coffee.

6. all or nothing phrase

You can use all or nothing to say that either something must be done fully and completely or else it cannot be done at all.

Either he went through with this thing or he did not; it was all or nothing.

7. to be better than nothing phrase B2

If you say that something is better than nothing, you mean that it is not what is required, but that it is better to have that thing than to have nothing at all.

After all, 15 minutes of exercise is better than nothing.

8. nothing but phrase B2

You use nothing but in front of a noun, an infinitive without 'to', or an '-ing' form to mean 'only'.

All that money brought nothing but sadness and misery and tragedy.

It did nothing but make us ridiculous.

They care for nothing but fighting.

Synonyms: just, only, simply, merely

9. nothing doing convention

You can say 'Nothing doing' when you want to say that something is not happening or cannot be done. [informal]

Pay now, or nothing doing.

'I could take the subway and have David pick me up at the station.'—'Nothing doing.'

10. there is nothing for it phrase

If you say that there is nothing for it but to take a particular action, you mean that it is the only possible course of action that you can take, even though it might be unpleasant. [British]

Surrounded by empty fields, there was nothing for it but to keep going.

There was nothing for it: I had to phone Michael to apologize.

11. nothing if not phrase

You use nothing if not in front of an adjective to indicate that someone or something clearly has a lot of the particular quality mentioned. [emphasis]

Professor Fish has been nothing if not professional.

Hollywood is nothing if not creative, especially if someone else will pick up the bills.

12. it's nothing convention

People sometimes say 'It's nothing' as a polite response after someone has thanked them for something they have done. [formulae]

'Thank you for the wonderful dinner.'—'It's nothing', Sarah said.

'I'll be on my way. I can't thank you enough, Alan.'—'It was nothing, but take care.'

13. nothing in it/nothing to it phrase

If you say about a story or report that there is nothing in it or nothing to it, you mean that it is untrue.

It's all rubbish and superstition, and there's nothing in it.

14. nothing to it/nothing in it phrase

If you say about an activity that there is nothing to it or nothing in it, you mean that it is extremely easy.

This device has a gripper that electrically twists off the jar top. Nothing to it.

If you've shied away from making pancakes, don't be put off–there's really nothing in it!

15. nothing in it phrase

If you say about a contest or competition that there is nothing in it, you mean that two or more of the competitors are level and have an equal chance of winning.

16. nothing less than phrase [PHR n/adj]

You can use nothing less than to emphasize your next words, often indicating that something seems very surprising or important. [emphasis]

To Wendy and me, at least, it was nothing less than a miracle.

17. not for nothing phrase [PHRASE cl, it v-link PHR that]

If you say that it was not for nothing that something happened, you are emphasizing that there was a very good reason for it to happen. [emphasis]

Not for nothing was the plane called 'The widow-maker'.

It's not for nothing that interior decorators the world over look to the English country garden for glorious inspiration.

18. something for nothing phrase [PHRASE after verb]

If you say that someone is getting something for nothing, you disapprove of the fact that they are getting what they want without doing or giving anything in return. [disapproval]

What's wrong with you is that you think you can get something for nothing.

19. nothing of the sort phrase

Nothing of the sort is used when strongly contradicting something that has just been said. [emphasis]

'We're going to talk this over in my office.'—'We're going to do nothing of the sort.'

Mrs Adamson said that she was extremely sorry, in tones that made it clear that she was nothing of the sort.

20. See also sweet nothings

21. nothing to write home about phrase

If you say that something is nothing to write home about, you mean that it is not very interesting or exciting. [informal]

So a dreary Monday afternoon in Walthamstow is nothing to write home about, right?

22. to say nothing of phrase

You use to say nothing of when you mention an additional thing which gives even more strength to the point you are making.

Unemployment leads to a sense of uselessness, to say nothing of financial problems.

23. nothing short of phrase

You use nothing short of or little short of to emphasize how great or extreme something is. For example, if you say that something is nothing short of a miracle or nothing short of disastrous, you are emphasizing that it is a miracle or it is disastrous. [emphasis]

The results are nothing short of magnificent.

His last visit to Washington was little short of a fiasco.

24. to stop at nothing phrase

If you say that someone will stop at nothing to get something, you are emphasizing that they are willing to do things that are extreme, wrong, or dangerous in order to get it. [emphasis]

Their motive is money, and they will stop at nothing to get it.

25. to think nothing of phrase

If you think nothing of doing something that other people might consider difficult, strange, or wrong, you consider it to be easy or normal, and you do it often or would be quite willing to do it.

I thought nothing of betting £1,000 on a horse.

Synonyms: have no compunction about, have no hesitation about, take in your stride

Quotations:

Nothing, like something, happens anywherePhilip LarkinI Remember, I Remember

Nothing can be created out of nothingLucretiusDe Rerum Natura

Nothing will come of nothingWilliam ShakespeareKing Lear

Idioms:

be nothing to write home about

to be not very interesting, exciting, or special

Yes, there is cheese, bread and meat in the local market and shops, but it's nothing to write home about.

be on a hiding to nothing [British]

to have absolutely no chance of being successful at what you are trying to do

A car manufacturer capable of making only 50,000 cars a year is on a hiding to nothing.

have nothing between your ears

to be stupid

He's good-looking but he has nothing between his ears.

much ado about nothing [journalism]

a lot of fuss about something which is not important

French newspapers described the international row as much ado about nothing.

Collocations:

know nothing about

We know nothing about the original druids at all.

Times, Sunday Times

They were designed simply to milk people who know nothing about the subject.

Times, Sunday Times

When you first start dating a person and you know nothing about them, there's less at risk there.

The Sun

Understandably, some savers have been wary of depositing their cash with institutions they know nothing about.

Times, Sunday Times

When hoping to find the best policy, why ask people who know nothing about the subject?

Times, Sunday Times

Translations:

Chinese: 无

Japanese: 何も･･･ない

单词	nothing
释义	nothing (nʌθɪŋ ) Word forms: nothings 1. pronoun A2 Nothing means not a single thing, or not a single part of something. I've done nothing much since coffee time. The man knows nothing of history or sociology. [+ of] He was dressed in jeans and nothing else. There is nothing wrong with the car. 2. pronoun B1+ You use nothing to indicate that something or someone is not important or significant. Because he had always had money, it meant nothing to him. This cold snap is nothing compared to a real winter. She kept bursting into tears over nothing at work. Do our years together mean nothing? Nothing is also a noun. It is the picture itself that is the problem; so small, so dull. It's a nothing, really. All it took was a word here, a word there, to convince him that he was a nothing. 3. pronoun A2 If you say that something cost nothing or is worth nothing, you are indicating that it cost or is worth a surprisingly small amount of money. The furniture was threadbare; he'd obviously picked it up for nothing. His net UK estate was worth nothing after debts were taken into account. 4. pronoun B2 You use nothing before an adjective or an infinitive to say that something or someone does not have the quality indicated. Around the lake the countryside generally is nothing special. There was nothing remarkable about him. All kids her age do silly things; it's nothing to worry about. 5. pronoun You can use nothing before 'so' and an adjective or adverb, or before a comparative, to emphasize how strong or great a particular quality is. [emphasis] Youngsters learn nothing so fast as how to beat the system. I consider nothing more important in my life than songwriting. There's nothing better than a good cup of hot coffee. 6. all or nothing phrase You can use all or nothing to say that either something must be done fully and completely or else it cannot be done at all. Either he went through with this thing or he did not; it was all or nothing. 7. to be better than nothing phrase B2 If you say that something is better than nothing, you mean that it is not what is required, but that it is better to have that thing than to have nothing at all. After all, 15 minutes of exercise is better than nothing. 8. nothing but phrase B2 You use nothing but in front of a noun, an infinitive without 'to', or an '-ing' form to mean 'only'. All that money brought nothing but sadness and misery and tragedy. It did nothing but make us ridiculous. They care for nothing but fighting. Synonyms: just, only, simply, merely 9. nothing doing convention You can say 'Nothing doing' when you want to say that something is not happening or cannot be done. [informal] Pay now, or nothing doing. 'I could take the subway and have David pick me up at the station.'—'Nothing doing.' 10. there is nothing for it phrase If you say that there is nothing for it but to take a particular action, you mean that it is the only possible course of action that you can take, even though it might be unpleasant. [British] Surrounded by empty fields, there was nothing for it but to keep going. There was nothing for it: I had to phone Michael to apologize. 11. nothing if not phrase You use nothing if not in front of an adjective to indicate that someone or something clearly has a lot of the particular quality mentioned. [emphasis] Professor Fish has been nothing if not professional. Hollywood is nothing if not creative, especially if someone else will pick up the bills. 12. it's nothing convention People sometimes say 'It's nothing' as a polite response after someone has thanked them for something they have done. [formulae] 'Thank you for the wonderful dinner.'—'It's nothing', Sarah said. 'I'll be on my way. I can't thank you enough, Alan.'—'It was nothing, but take care.' 13. nothing in it/nothing to it phrase If you say about a story or report that there is nothing in it or nothing to it, you mean that it is untrue. It's all rubbish and superstition, and there's nothing in it. 14. nothing to it/nothing in it phrase If you say about an activity that there is nothing to it or nothing in it, you mean that it is extremely easy. This device has a gripper that electrically twists off the jar top. Nothing to it. If you've shied away from making pancakes, don't be put off–there's really nothing in it! 15. nothing in it phrase If you say about a contest or competition that there is nothing in it, you mean that two or more of the competitors are level and have an equal chance of winning. 16. nothing less than phrase [PHR n/adj] You can use nothing less than to emphasize your next words, often indicating that something seems very surprising or important. [emphasis] To Wendy and me, at least, it was nothing less than a miracle. 17. not for nothing phrase [PHRASE cl, it v-link PHR that] If you say that it was not for nothing that something happened, you are emphasizing that there was a very good reason for it to happen. [emphasis] Not for nothing was the plane called 'The widow-maker'. It's not for nothing that interior decorators the world over look to the English country garden for glorious inspiration. 18. something for nothing phrase [PHRASE after verb] If you say that someone is getting something for nothing, you disapprove of the fact that they are getting what they want without doing or giving anything in return. [disapproval] What's wrong with you is that you think you can get something for nothing. 19. nothing of the sort phrase Nothing of the sort is used when strongly contradicting something that has just been said. [emphasis] 'We're going to talk this over in my office.'—'We're going to do nothing of the sort.' Mrs Adamson said that she was extremely sorry, in tones that made it clear that she was nothing of the sort. 20. See also sweet nothings 21. nothing to write home about phrase If you say that something is nothing to write home about, you mean that it is not very interesting or exciting. [informal] So a dreary Monday afternoon in Walthamstow is nothing to write home about, right? 22. to say nothing of phrase You use to say nothing of when you mention an additional thing which gives even more strength to the point you are making. Unemployment leads to a sense of uselessness, to say nothing of financial problems. 23. nothing short of phrase You use nothing short of or little short of to emphasize how great or extreme something is. For example, if you say that something is nothing short of a miracle or nothing short of disastrous, you are emphasizing that it is a miracle or it is disastrous. [emphasis] The results are nothing short of magnificent. His last visit to Washington was little short of a fiasco. 24. to stop at nothing phrase If you say that someone will stop at nothing to get something, you are emphasizing that they are willing to do things that are extreme, wrong, or dangerous in order to get it. [emphasis] Their motive is money, and they will stop at nothing to get it. 25. to think nothing of phrase If you think nothing of doing something that other people might consider difficult, strange, or wrong, you consider it to be easy or normal, and you do it often or would be quite willing to do it. I thought nothing of betting £1,000 on a horse. Synonyms: have no compunction about, have no hesitation about, take in your stride Quotations: Nothing, like something, happens anywherePhilip LarkinI Remember, I Remember Nothing can be created out of nothingLucretiusDe Rerum Natura Nothing will come of nothingWilliam ShakespeareKing Lear Idioms: be nothing to write home about to be not very interesting, exciting, or special Yes, there is cheese, bread and meat in the local market and shops, but it's nothing to write home about. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers be on a hiding to nothing [British] to have absolutely no chance of being successful at what you are trying to do A car manufacturer capable of making only 50,000 cars a year is on a hiding to nothing. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers have nothing between your ears to be stupid He's good-looking but he has nothing between his ears. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers much ado about nothing [journalism] a lot of fuss about something which is not important French newspapers described the international row as much ado about nothing. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Collocations: know nothing about We know nothing about the original druids at all. Times, Sunday Times They were designed simply to milk people who know nothing about the subject. Times, Sunday Times When you first start dating a person and you know nothing about them, there's less at risk there. The Sun Understandably, some savers have been wary of depositing their cash with institutions they know nothing about. Times, Sunday Times When hoping to find the best policy, why ask people who know nothing about the subject? Times, Sunday Times Translations: Chinese: 无 Japanese: 何も･･･ない
随便看	faceless faceless bureaucrat faceless corporation facelift face-lift face mask facemask face-off face opposition face outward face pack face peers face perjury face persecution face powder face prejudice face pressed face pressure face prosecution face punishment face questioning face questions face resistance face restrictions face ruin