Meaning & Definition of word "Naught"

Naught

/nɔːt/

noun:

  • 1. Nothing; the absence of anything; nonexistence.
    • Example: To him, their promises were naught, empty words without meaning.
  • 2. A term used to describe someone who is worthless; a good-for-naught.
    • Example: He was considered naught by his peers after his recent failure.

adjective:

  • 1. Worthless; of no value; insignificant.
    • Example: The naught gains from the investment were disappointing.

adverb:

  • 1. Nothing; zero; not anything.
    • Example: All her efforts came to naught when the project was canceled.
  • 2. To no purpose; in vain.
    • Example: He tried to explain his point, but it was naught to his audience.
  • 3. Of no worth; worthless.
    • Example: After reviewing the performance, the manager deemed the results naught.

Etymology

Old English nāwiht meaning 'not anything', from nā 'not' + wiht 'thing'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

to come to naught:

to end in failure or have no worth

naught but:

nothing except

from naught:

from nothing; starting point is nothing

Related Words

nothing:

the absence of anything; no thing at all.

null:

having no legal or binding force; invalid.

void:

completely empty; having no content.

Slang Meanings of naught

Meaning: A term used to denote something worthless.

Example Sentence: That old car is naught, I can’t even sell it.

Meaning: Lost or wasted time.

Example Sentence: I spent the whole day, and it was naught.