What does "nought" mean?
Nothing; something which does not exist.
Nought
/nɔːt/ adj, adv, noun, pron, verb
adj, adv, noun, pron, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Nothing; something which does not exist.
- Grammar: nought is listed as adj, adv, noun, pron, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: zero, 0, a little thing, aught.
- Useful contrasts: existence, nonzero, something.
- Usage evidence: I teach kids from nought to five years old.
How to use "nought"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nought" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nought" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nought" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nought" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nought" is acting as adj, adv, noun, pron, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "zero" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nought", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Nothing; something which does not exist.
""It is the truth; naught have I hidden from thee, Kallikrates.""
- 2 a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number wordnet
- 3 A thing or person of no worth or value; nil.
- 4 Not any quantity of number; zero; the score of no points in a game. Commonwealth, Ireland, UK
"0.335 cm is nought/zero point three three five of a centimeter."
- 5 The figure or character representing, or having the shape of, zero. Commonwealth, Ireland, UK
Verb
- 1 To abase, to set at nought.
"In this naked word sin, our Lord brought to my mind, generally, all that is not good, and the shameful despite and the utter noughting that He bare for us in this life, and His dying; and all the pains and passions of all His creatures, ghostly and bodily; (for we be all partly noughted, and we shall be noughted following our Master, Jesus, till we be full purged, that is to say, till we be fully noughted of our deadly flesh and of all our inward affections which are not very good;)"
Adjective
- 1 Good for nothing; worthless. obsolete
"It is nought, it is nought, saith the buyer, but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth."
- 2 Wicked, immoral.
Adverb
- 1 To no extent; in no way; not at all.
- 2 Not.
Pronoun
- 1 Nothing; zero.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I teach kids from nought to five years old."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nought"?
Common synonyms include: zero, 0, a little thing, aught, cipher, cipher.
How do you use "nought" in a sentence?
I teach kids from nought to five years old.
How do you pronounce "nought"?
Pronounced /nɔːt/.
Etymology
From Middle English nought, noght, noȝt, from Old English nōwiht, nāwiht, which in turn comes from ne-ā-wiht, which was a phrase used as an emphatic "no", meaning "not anything". Equivalent to ne + ought or ne + a + wight. Doublet of naught and not.