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Nothing vs Almost - What's the difference?

nothing | almost |

As nouns the difference between nothing and almost

is that nothing is something trifling, or of no consequence or importance while almost is (informal) something or someone that doesn't quite make it.

As adverbs the difference between nothing and almost

is that nothing is (archaic) not at all; in no way while almost is very close to, but not quite.

As a pronoun nothing

is not any thing; no thing.

nothing

English

Alternative forms

* (nonstandard) nuffin, nuffink, nuttin'

Pronoun

(wikipedia nothing) (English Pronouns)
  • Not any thing; no thing.
  • *
  • * , chapter=19
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)
    • , volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Finland spreads word on schools , passage=Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.}}
  • An absence of anything, including empty space, brightness, darkness, matter, or a vacuum.
  • (slang, in double negatives) Anything
    • I didn't see nothing. [= I didn't see anything].

    Synonyms

    * (not any thing) ** (standard) not a thing ** (slang) jack, nada, zip ** (vulgar slang) bugger all, jack shit, sod all (British), fuck all ** (Northern English dialect) nowt :: See * (something trifling) nothing of any consequence, nothing consequential, nothing important, nothing significant, something inconsequential, something insignificant, something of no consequence, something trifling, something unimportant

    Antonyms

    * anything * everything * something

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something trifling, or of no consequence or importance.
    • What happened to your face?'' — ''It's nothing.
  • * Jeremy Taylor
    • Sermons are not like curious inquiries after new nothings , but pursuances of old truths.
  • A trivial remark (especially in the term (sweet nothings)).
  • A nobody (insignificant person).
    • You're nothing to me now!

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (archaic) Not at all; in no way.
  • *

    • Related terms

    * anything * everything * something * thing

    Derived terms

    * benothing * better than nothing * for nothing * if nothing else * it's nothing * have nothing on (someone) * leave nothing in the tank * less than nothing * next to nothing * nothing at all * nothing but * nothing doing * nothingness * nothing succeeds like success * there's nothing to it * think nothing of it

    See also

    * nobody, no one * nowhere

    References

    *

    Statistics

    * English compound determinatives English indefinite pronouns English refractory feminine rhymes English third person pronouns 1000 English basic words

    almost

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (Jamaican English)

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Very close to, but not quite.
    • Almost all people went there. - Not all but very close to it.
    We almost missed the train. - Not missed but very close to it.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited.}}
  • * , chapter=17
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=9 citation , passage=Eustace gaped at him in amazement. When his urbanity dropped away from him, as now, he had an innocence of expression which was almost infantile. It was as if the world had never touched him at all.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-05-17, author=George Monbiot, authorlink=George Monbiot
    • , title=Money just makes the rich suffer , volume=188, issue=23, page=19, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) citation , passage=In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. […]  The public realm is privatised, the regulations restraining the ultra–wealthy and the companies they control are abandoned, and Edwardian levels of inequality are almost fetishised.}}

    Synonyms

    * nearly, nigh, well-nigh, near, close to, next to, practically, virtually

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal) Something or someone that doesn't quite make it.
    • In all the submissions, they found four papers that were clearly worth publishing and another dozen almosts .

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * English degree adverbs