nowhereno‧where /ˈnəʊweə $ ˈnoʊwer/ ●●● S2 adverb 
I have no job and nowhere to live. Nowhere is drug abuse more of a problem than in the US.2get/go nowhere to have no success or make no progress: The proposal went nowhere in the Senate.get nowhere with somebody/something He was getting nowhere with the Bentley case.get somebody nowhere A negative attitude will get you nowhere. I soon realized that being tough was getting me nowhere fast (=was not helping me achieve anything).3be nowhere to be seen/found (also be nowhere in sight) to not be in a place, or not be seen or found there: Typical – another street crime and the police are nowhere to be seen.4nowhere near a)a long way from a particular place: He swore he was nowhere near her house on the night she died. b)not at allnowhere near ready/full/finished etc The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.5out of/from nowhere happening or appearing suddenly and without warning: In the last few seconds, Gunnell came from nowhere to win another gold medal. From out of nowhere he asks me to marry him!GRAMMAR: NegativesDon’t use nowhere with another negative word such as ‘not’. Use anywhere. You say: · You must not smoke anywhere in the building. ✗Don’t say: You must not smoke nowhere in the building.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- When the cold hit, there was nowhere for them to go.
- And that's the worst, not having a job, nowhere to go and nowhere to live.
- And we had nowhere to go if we had been found unworthy.
- Giant amphipods, the size of rats, appear out of nowhere to nibble on the remains.
- It's laid waste to nowhere.
- Louis Cardinals out in Bloomington, and getting nowhere.
- Since 1988, the number of applications from people who say they have nowhere to live has soared from 160 to 629.
- The image will seem to magically appear on screen from nowhere.
- There was no respite from them, nowhere to hide from them.
Longman Language Activatorwhen you do not succeed
· We tried to make her change her mind, but we failed.fail to do something · I failed to convince him that I was right.· Having failed to find her friend, she decided to return home.fail completely · If they were trying to put us out of business, they have failed completely.fail miserably (=fail completely, in a way that is embarrassing) · Millions of people have tried to quit smoking and failed miserably.
when you fail in something you are trying to do: · She never tries anything because she's terrified of failure.· His ability has been called into question after a number of recent failures.failure to do something: · The failure of the international community to deal effectively with the problem has cost thousands of lives.
informal to fail in your job, especially because you do not earn a lot of money or do not become well known and respected: not make it as: · No one was surprised when he didn't make it as a rock star.not make it in: · She soon realized she'd never make it in the cut-throat world of journalism.
to fail after trying hard for a long time: · Unless you compromise, you'll get nowhere.get nowhere with: · Realizing she was getting nowhere with Paul, she approached John.
if all your work, preparation etc is for nothing , you have tried to achieve something and spent a lot of time on it, but failed: · If we don't get the contract all our hard work will have been for nothing.· I don't want to struggle all my life for nothing.
if you tried to do something in vain , or if your efforts were in vain ,you completely failed after a lot of effort: try/search/battle etc in vain: · Doctors tried in vain to save him but he died just before dawn.· Police have spent hours searching in vain for the missing teenager.be in vain: · It took a great deal of courage to admit that all her efforts had been in vain.
British /come up empty-handed American informal fail to find or discover information or a person or thing you are looking for: · Once again police investigators have drawn a blank.· The private detective she hired to look for him had come up empty-handed.
a long distance a long distance - use this especially in negatives and questions: · Have you driven far?· We won't be able to go much farther because of the snow.· Who do you think can jump the farthest?far from: · Cleveland isn't very far from here.· We were sitting too far from the stage to hear what the actors were saying.far above/below/behind etc: · I was now far behind the others and knew I couldn't catch up.
a very long distance from where you are: · The ship was so far away that we could hardly see it.far away from: · She wanted to get as far away from New York as possible.as far away as something: · Because of the snowstorm on the east coast, flights for Boston were sent as far away as Montreal.from far away: · Thousands of people had come from far away for a chance to see the Pope.
also a long ways American spoken a long distance: · You must be tired - you've come a long way.a long way from: · The farm is a long way from the highway.a long way away/a long way off (=a long way from where you are now or from the place you are talking about): · We could hear them shouting from a long way away.· From the map, it looked as if the lake was still a long way off.a long way ahead/below/behind etc: · It's a long way down - hold on tight.
British also quite a ways American spoken fairly far, used especially to warn someone that a distance is longer than they think: · Look at the map. It's a fair way to drive in one day.· The children will have to walk quite a way if we take them into the woods.
further than usual or further than you expected: · José accompanied us for some distance until we reached the highway.· Their house is actually quite a distance from the edge of town.
informal a very long way: · We hiked miles yesterday.miles away: · I don't see Jane much any more - she lives miles away.miles from: · The hotel is miles from the station - I'll come and get you.miles from anywhere (=a long way from the nearest town): · They live up in the mountains, miles from anywhere.miles and miles: · Around here you can walk miles and miles and never see anyone.
a very long way from somewhere, further than you expect to be, or further than someone else says you are: · The car was parked in the middle of the street, nowhere near the curb.· After eight hours climbing, we were still nowhere near the top of the mountain.
formal if you travel far afield , you travel a very long way from the place where you usually live: · With the car they could travel far afield each summer.as far afield as something: · His work took him as far afield as Moscow and Delhi.further/farther afield: · The next day we ventured farther afield and sailed out to one of the islands.
far away from other places a distant or far-off town or country is a long way from where you are: · Food at the fair comes from such far-off places as Brazil and Lithuania.· How can we send our young men off to distant lands to die in foreign wars?
written a faraway country, especially one that you have been told about or have read about, is very far away, and different from your own country: · Ed told us stories of all the faraway countries he had visited.· Avis always dreamed of an exotic vacation in some faraway place.
remote places are far away from other places or people, and very few people go there: · They moved to a remote farmhouse in North Wales.· The helicopter crashed in a remote desert area.
a long way from other towns, buildings, or people, especially in a quiet place where you are alone: · If you travel to isolated areas, make sure you have a good guide.· The area is extremely isolated because of the hills that surround it.
a secluded place is private and quiet because it is a long way from other people - use this about a place where people can do what they want without being disturbed: · They drove to a secluded spot in the country to have their picnic.· We rented a little cabin on the edge of a secluded lake.
informal in a lonely place a long way from towns or villages, where you do not expect to find any houses: · Amazingly, we found a really nice motel in the middle of nowhere.· We were miles from anywhere and had no idea how to get back.
American informal in a part of the country that is a long way from any town: · I'm not moving to that place - it's out in the boondocks.· Gayle lives out in the boonies - it would take at least an hour to get there.
fairly far away from any town or from where other people live, and a little difficult to find and travel to: · The house is a little out of the way, but you should be able to find it.
also off the beaten path American a place that is off the beaten track or path is a long way from the places where people usually go, which usually makes it more interesting to visit: · The little restaurant was so far off the beaten track that we almost didn't find it.· Greg likes to get off the beaten path and discover places that other tourists don't find.
a long way from where you are now or far away from the nearest town: way out in/past/beyond etc: · I live way out in Laurel Canyon.· We drove way out past Reno to the old Fielding place.
far-flung places are all connected with a particular organization, country etc but they are all very far away from it: · Our job is to organize the company's far-flung offices.· Participants come from nations as far-flung as Iceland and Japan.
someone or something that you cannot find a missing object is lost and may have been stolen; a missing person cannot be found and may be in danger: · She's been missing for three days now, and we're very worried.· The painting, which has been missing for almost half a century, only turned up when the owner of the house died.missing from: · Police are 'very concerned' for the safety of a teenager who's been missing from home for three days. · Two pages were missing from my copy of the report.go missing (from) British (=become lost or be stolen): · A small sum of money went missing from the office last night.report somebody/something missing (from) (=tell someone in authority that someone or something is lost or stolen): · The man had reported his girlfriend missing three days after she disappeared.
if something is lost , no-one knows where it is: · I've looked everywhere for the car keys. I think they must be lost.· Divers are searching for the plane's lost flight recorder.get lost: · You haven't gotten my letter yet? It must have gotten lost in the mail.
if something or someone disappears , they cannot be found and you think they may have been stolen or may be in danger: · I thought I had a copy of the notes, but they seem to have disappeared somewhere.· The parents of an art student who disappeared in the middle of his exams have made an emotional plea for him to come home.disappear from: · The letter had mysteriously disappeared from the file overnight.
if someone or something is nowhere to be seen or nowhere to be found , you have looked everywhere for them but still cannot find them: · Our tour guide was nowhere to be seen, so we set off to explore the city alone.· She'd looked everywhere for her glasses, but they were nowhere to be found.
not in any place not in any place or to any place: · Where's Nick? I can't find him anywhere.· Yeah, I'll wait. I'm not going anywhere.· a path that seemed to lead nowherenowhere else/not anywhere else (=no other place): · In the Sonoran Desert there are plants that grow nowhere else in the country.nowhere to live/sit/stay: · The hall was already full, and there was nowhere to sit.
American informal nowhere: · She had no place else to live, so I let her stay in my apartment.· I was lonely and broke with no place to go.· We had no place else to rehearse.
to make no progress at all to not progress at all with a piece of work or activity: · The lawyers are trying to reach an agreement but so far no progress has been made.make no progress on: · Because of bad weather we made no progress on the house for the next three days.make no progress in: · Police were making no progress in their efforts to trace a man seen near the scene of the murder.make no progress with: · The city council have made no progress with their plans to rebuild the town hall.
informal to not progress at all, even though you have worked hard: · I feel as though I'm getting nowhere in this job.· Not surprisingly, the peace talks got nowhere.get nowhere with: · Don started to learn Arabic, but he was getting nowhere with it.get nowhere fast: · The project was eating up time and money and seemed to be getting nowhere fast.
if a piece of work or activity goes badly , it does not make progress or develop in the way you would like it to: · My essay isn't going very well. It's difficult to find any useful books on the subject.· Despite all the government's efforts, the war on drugs is going badly.
also go round in circles British to keep discussing the same problems without making any decisions or finding any answers: · This conversation's going around in circles again.· Every time we try to reach a decision, we end up going round in circles.
to stop developing or improving and often become worse: · Business here has stagnated compared with other wine-producing regions.· Everyone needs new challenges. Otherwise you just stagnate.
suddenly if something happens suddenly , it happens quickly when you are not expecting it: · Suddenly there was a loud bang and all the lights went out.· I suddenly realized that there was someone following me.die suddenly (=die unexpectedly): · Several years ago her husband died suddenly at the age of 64.
suddenly - use this especially in stories or descriptions of past events: · We waited and waited, then all of a sudden we saw a sail on the horizon.· The way he decided to leave all of a sudden didn't make any sense.
if something happens out of the blue , you are not expecting it at all, and you are very surprised by it: · She told me, out of the blue, that she was going to live in New York.completely out of the blue: · Do you remember Jane? Well, she phoned me yesterday, completely out of the blue.
if something ends or if someone moves or speaks abruptly , they do it suddenly and unexpectedly: · The party was stopped abruptly when the police turned up.· She turned abruptly and went back inside.· "You may leave now,'' he said, abruptly.
if something bad or dangerous happens without warning , it happens suddenly and there were no signs that it was going to happen: · Without warning, tears began to roll down his cheeks.· At five to four Greg went into convulsions. It happened suddenly and without warning.
if you do something on the spur of the moment , you suddenly decide to do something that you had not planned to do: · I bought the car on the spur of the moment.· On the spur of the moment, we decided to head north that day instead of East.
if you say that someone does something or something appears from out of nowhere , it happens suddenly so that you are surprised or shocked: · From out of nowhere he asked me to marry him.· I was doing 80 miles per hour when from out of nowhere this cop on a motorcycle pulled me over.
if something happens at short notice , it happens suddenly without you having time to prepare for it: · Both players pulled out of the competition yesterday at short notice.· Occasionally, tours may have to be cancelled at short notice.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY I have no job and nowhere to live. I soon realized that being tough was getting me nowhere fast (=was not helping me achieve anything). The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are. We searched everywhere but the ring was nowhere to be found (=could not be found). Her mother went to the shops, and on her return, Kathleen was nowhere to be found (=could not be found). ‘What did you want?’ ‘Oh, nothing in particular.’COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
I have no job and nowhere to live. I soon realized that being tough was getting me nowhere fast (=was not helping me achieve anything). The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.· You must not smoke anywhere in the building.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=appear suddenly and unexpectedly) The car seemed to appear from nowhere.
The car seemed to appear from nowhere. We searched everywhere but the ring was nowhere to be found (=could not be found). informal (=much less than you need) We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.
We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder. Her mother went to the shops, and on her return, Kathleen was nowhere to be found (=could not be found). ‘What did you want?’ ‘Oh, nothing in particular.’· Yet in 1978, Montague was going nowhere fast.
VERB· Mary of Guise's name nowhere appears, but she must surely have been involved.· Nearly half of these species appear nowhere else on the planet and would become extinct unless the Andes hot spot was saved.
· The extra pairs had been there all the time; they had simply found nowhere to nest before.· Yet I have found nowhere To leave my misery.· But the General was not in his office; he was not in his quarters; he could be found nowhere.· These crabs are found nowhere else in the world.· His room had a smell that could be found nowhere else in the house.· They are home to 18 species of fish, nine of which are found nowhere else in the world.· Ramsey could find nowhere to live within the parish.
· I should be able to do something about it and it was a depressing thought that I was getting nowhere.· Louis Cardinals out in Bloomington, and getting nowhere.· It had puzzled and frustrated her that she had got nowhere.· But the skirt was so full and my arm so tired that I seemed to be getting nowhere.· Wycliffe was getting nowhere, though Tate was answering his questions without protest and, apparently, without guile.· I submit those stats and I get nowhere.· Henceforward lie could be assured that a King's Party would get nowhere in Parliament.· If you found that your performance was questionable, you will get nowhere by denying or defending it.
· I ain't going nowhere near them.· Indeed, the trading profit went nowhere in 2000.· Two years of short-lived study plans and short-term jobs, two years of going nowhere, had taken their toll.· Now he says Labour's going nowhere and he can't take the back stabbing from other members.· An agreement signed by presidents Clinton and Yeltsin in January 1994 to consider steps to make arms reduction irreversible has gone nowhere.· The measure went nowhere in the House, where some Hispanic lawmakers feared it would not increase the number of Hispanic judges.
· I roamed around archways leading nowhere and windows framed by stone walls standing in isolation.· The huge structures have endless corridors, barren hallways like tunnels that turn back upon themselves, leading nowhere.· He was unable to visualize these acts because he knew they led nowhere.· Often there are discoveries which lead nowhere and do not attract much, or indeed any attention.· When Heather disappeared, I thought it was a lead worth following, but it led nowhere.· This was a one-way track, leading nowhere.· However, it is a course that leads nowhere.· She had done enough of that over the past few weeks, and had found that it led nowhere.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be getting/be going nowhere fast► flattery will get you everywhere/nowhere► lead nowhere/not lead anywhere► nowhere near/not anywhere near
1not in any place or to any placenowhere to go/live/sit etc- Flo has been looking for a job but has gotten nowhere.
- But it's like digging in treacle - you get nowhere.
- He's got nowhere to go but forward.
- He goes nowhere in public without enough jewelry to supply a cotillion.
- I ain't going nowhere near them.
- I submit those stats and I get nowhere.
- Indeed, the trading profit went nowhere in 2000.
- Louis Cardinals out in Bloomington, and getting nowhere.
- Still, the Raiders will go nowhere until they begin following the rules.
- Our tour guide was nowhere to be seen, so we set off to explore the city alone.
- She'd looked everywhere for her glasses, but they were nowhere to be found.
- Amelia Otis's name is nowhere to be found.
- But David Kent was nowhere to be seen.
- He had been searching for Morthen, to protect her from his violent half-brother, but she was nowhere to be found.
- I patrolled the town for a while, but they were nowhere to be seen.
- The prison director ordered a search, but the prisoner was nowhere to be found.
- When a game was on the line, Carr was nowhere to be found.
- Willie had looked around for the twins and George, but they were nowhere to be seen.
- After eight hours climbing, we were still nowhere near the top of the mountain.
- The car was parked in the middle of the street, nowhere near the curb.
- Anyway, Jimmy had phoned me a few weeks earlier out of nowhere and asked if I could do him a favor.
- Giant amphipods, the size of rats, appear out of nowhere to nibble on the remains.
- Gilbert reappeared, sans Bob, but accompanied by Kevin who had materialized out of nowhere.
- Husbands would wander; a car would appear out of nowhere.
- I got to be careful - cars just suddenly come out from nowhere and it's easy to have an accident.
- She saw it fly out from nowhere, its wings flashing black, then white.
- While Paul's dilemma came out of nowhere.
- Annie A very nice symbolic action, but on its own it gets us exactly nowhere.
- Anxiety will get you nowhere, wrote Harsnet.
- Continual moaning and criticism of others gets you nowhere.
- Everyone has got to start somewhere.
- It doesn't get you anywhere.
- Looks like he hated Albert more than anything-but he never would let him get a job anywhere else.
- New York gave you freedom, indulged tastes and vices that could get you hanged somewhere else, but at a price.
- Michael lives way out in the middle of nowhere.
- And then going to this little tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere.
- Another minor hockey league out in the middle of nowhere.
- Even out there, in the middle of nowhere, it was a beautiful evening.
- Even the ponds looked healthy, the little streams we crossed in the middle of nowhere.
- Eventually it stopped in the middle of nowhere.
- It was in the middle of nowhere.
- M., and we were in the middle of nowhere.
- What was I doing cavorting with boulders in the middle of nowhere?
I have no job and nowhere to live. Nowhere is drug abuse more of a problem than in the US.2get/go nowhere to have no success or make no progress: The proposal went nowhere in the Senate.get nowhere with somebody/something He was getting nowhere with the Bentley case.get somebody nowhere A negative attitude will get you nowhere. I soon realized that being tough was getting me nowhere fast (=was not helping me achieve anything).3be nowhere to be seen/found (also be nowhere in sight) to not be in a place, or not be seen or found there: Typical – another street crime and the police are nowhere to be seen.4nowhere near a)a long way from a particular place: He swore he was nowhere near her house on the night she died. b)not at allnowhere near ready/full/finished etc The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.5out of/from nowhere happening or appearing suddenly and without warning: In the last few seconds, Gunnell came from nowhere to win another gold medal. From out of nowhere he asks me to marry him!GRAMMAR: NegativesDon’t use nowhere with another negative word such as ‘not’. Use anywhere. You say: · You must not smoke anywhere in the building. ✗Don’t say: You must not smoke nowhere in the building.