nothing : Idioms & Phrases

Index

all-or-nothing

  • adjective satellite occurring completely or not occurring at all
    all-or-none.
WordNet

Almost nothing

  • scarcely anything.
Webster 1913

do-nothing

  • noun person who does no work
    layabout; loafer; bum; idler.
    • a lazy bum
  • adjective satellite characterized by inability or unwillingness to work toward a goal or assume responsibility
    • a do-nothing government
WordNet
Do"-noth`ing adjective
Definitions
  1. Doing nothing; inactive; idle; lazy; as, a do-nothing policy.
Webster 1913

Good for nothing

  • . (a) Of no value; useless; worthless. (b) Used substantively, an idle, worthless person.
    My father always said I was born to be a good for nothing. Ld. Lytton.
Webster 1913

good-for-nothing

  • noun an idle worthless person
    no-account; goldbrick; good-for-naught; goof-off; ne'er-do-well.
  • adjective satellite without merit
    no-good; meritless; no-account; good-for-naught; no-count; sorry.
    • a sorry horse
    • a sorry excuse
    • a lazy no-count, good-for-nothing goldbrick
    • the car was a no-good piece of junk
WordNet

know nothing

  • noun an ignorant person
    uneducated person; ignoramus.
WordNet

know-nothing

Know"-noth`ing noun
Definitions
  1. A member of a secret political organization in the United States, the chief objects of which were the proscription of foreigners by the repeal of the naturalization laws, and the exclusive choice of native Americans for office. ✍ The party originated in 1853, and existed for about three years. The members of it were called Know-nothings, because they replied "I don't know," to any questions asked them in reference to the party.
Webster 1913

know-nothing party

  • noun a former political party in the United States; active in the 1850s to keep power out of the hands of immigrants and Roman Catholics
    American Party.
WordNet

Neck or nothing

  • (Fig.), at all risks.
Webster 1913

Nothing but

  • only; no more than. Chaucer.
Webster 1913

Nothing off

  • (Naut.), an order to the steersman to keep the vessel close to the wind.
Webster 1913

out of nothing

  • adverb without warning
    out of thin air; from nowhere.
    • your cousin arrived out of thin air
WordNet

sweet nothings

  • noun inconsequential expressions of affection
    honeyed words.
    • he whispered sweet nothings into her ear
WordNet

To dance on a rope, ∨ To dance on nothing

  • to be hanged.
Webster 1913

To go for nothing

  • to be parted with for no compensation or result; to have no value, efficacy, or influence; to count for nothing.
Webster 1913

To make nothing of

  • . (a) To make no difficulty of; to consider as trifling or important . "We are industrious to preserve our bodies from slavery, but we make nothing of suffering our souls to be slaves to our lusts." Ray. (b) Not to understand; as, I could make nothing of what he said.
Webster 1913