Nothing vs Naught - What's the difference?
nothing | naught |
Not any thing; no thing.
*
* , chapter=19
, title= * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)
, volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly)
, title= An absence of anything, including empty space, brightness, darkness, matter, or a vacuum.
(slang, in double negatives) Anything
Something trifling, or of no consequence or importance.
* Jeremy Taylor
A trivial remark (especially in the term (sweet nothings)).
A nobody (insignificant person).
(archaic) Not at all; in no way.
*
(UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) (now rare or archaic in US, Canada ) Zero.
(UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) (now rare or archaic in US, Canada ) Nothing; nothingness.
Naught is a synonym of nothing.
As pronouns the difference between nothing and naught
is that nothing is not any thing; no thing while naught is nothing.As nouns the difference between nothing and naught
is that nothing is something trifling, or of no consequence or importance while naught is (now rare or archaic in US, Canada) Zero.As an adverb nothing
is not at all; in no way.nothing
English
Alternative forms
* (nonstandard) nuffin, nuffink, nuttin'Pronoun
(wikipedia nothing) (English Pronouns)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.}}
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.}}
- 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 unimportantAntonyms
* anything * everything * somethingNoun
(en noun)- What happened to your face?'' — ''It's nothing.
- Sermons are not like curious inquiries after new nothings , but pursuances of old truths.
- You're nothing to me now!
Adverb
(-)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 itSee also
* nobody, no one * nowhereReferences
*naught
English
Alternative forms
* noughtNoun
(-)- Yet another naught on the scoreboard for the home team.
- Naught can come of this, you mark my words.''