is better than nothing

(something) is better than nothing

An acknowledgment that a particular thing, although not ideal, is preferable to nothing at all. After two weeks, I finally got a return phone call from that company, which is better than nothing, I guess. Yeah, her gift was late, but it's better than nothing, at least.See also: better, nothing

Something is better than nothing.

Prov. It is better to get only some of what you want than to get nothing at all. (See also .) Fred: I only got $50 for all those books I sold. Jane: something is better than nothing. Jill: Is your camera very good? Jane: It's better than nothing.See also: better, nothing