Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius, doesn't it?
Source: tatoeba (2475)
Zero
/ˈzɪəɹəʊ/
Synonyms for "zero" (301 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Strong matches (15)
Related words (25)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: naught, nil, null, origin, zero point.
- Sentence evidence is available for zero, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "zero".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "zero"
Keep "zero" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "zero" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "zero", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "zero" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
21 entriesadjustamountapproachcorrectdeterminerdigitfigurelevelmeasurementnumbernumeralnumerical quantitypolicyquantifierquantityrelative quantity
Showing 16 of 21 words.
More specific
19 entriesShowing 16 of 19 words.
Collocations
11 entrieszero budgetzero calorieszero chancezero degreeszero energyzero gravityzero growthzero hourszero percentzero tolerancezero waste
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
5 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
34 translations across 28 languages.
Breton
2 entries- mann noun (point of origin on a scale)
- zero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Catalan
1 entries- zero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Czech
1 entries- nula noun (point of origin on a scale)
Danish
1 entries- nulpunkt noun (point of origin on a scale)
Dutch
1 entries- nul noun (point of origin on a scale)
Esperanto
1 entries- nulo noun (point of origin on a scale)
Finnish
2 entries- nolla noun (point of origin on a scale)
- nollapiste noun (point of origin on a scale)
French
1 entries- zéro noun (point of origin on a scale)
German
1 entries- Null noun (point of origin on a scale)
Hebrew
1 entries- אפס noun (point of origin on a scale)
Hindi
1 entries- शून्य noun (point of origin on a scale)
Interlingua
1 entries- zero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Italian
1 entries- zero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Latvian
2 entries- nulle noun (point of origin on a scale)
- nullpunkts noun (point of origin on a scale)
Maltese
1 entries- żero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Northern Kurdish
1 entries- sifir noun (point of origin on a scale)
Norwegian
1 entries- nullpunkt noun (point of origin on a scale)
Polish
1 entries- zero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Portuguese
1 entries- zero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Romanian
1 entries- zero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- neoni noun (point of origin on a scale)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- nula noun (point of origin on a scale)
- нула noun (point of origin on a scale)
Sindhi
1 entries- ٻُڙِي noun (point of origin on a scale)
Slovene
1 entries- ničla noun (point of origin on a scale)
Spanish
1 entries- cero noun (point of origin on a scale)
Swedish
1 entries- nolla noun (point of origin on a scale)
Tatar
2 entries- nol noun (point of origin on a scale)
- ноль noun (point of origin on a scale)
Vietnamese
2 entries- số không noun (point of origin on a scale)
- zêrô noun (point of origin on a scale)
Sample sentences
48 total sentences available.
The thermometer went down below zero.
Source: tatoeba (21121)
Thermometers often go below zero.
Source: tatoeba (21122)
We had to start our business from zero.
Source: tatoeba (22909)
Showing 4 of 48 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "zero"?
Closest matches include naught, nil, null, origin, zero point.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "zero"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.