Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

nothingness

noun noth·ing·ness \ ˈnə-thiŋ-nəs \
See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Definition of nothingness

1 : the quality or state of being nothing: such as
a : nonexistence
b : utter insignificance
c : death
2 : something insignificant or valueless
3 : void, emptiness

See nothingness defined for English-language learners

Examples of nothingness in a Sentence

  1. He was staring into nothingness.

  2. The sound faded into nothingness.

Recent Examples of nothingness from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nothingness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of nothingness

circa 1631

nothingness Synonyms

Synonyms

dead, deadness, death, grave, lifelessness, sleep;

Antonyms

existence, life;

Near Antonyms

immortality;

life span, lifetime;

Related Words

mortality;

NOTHINGNESS Defined for English Language Learners

nothingness

noun

Definition of nothingness for English Language Learners

  • : empty space

  • : the state of being no longer seen, heard, or felt

Learn More about nothingness

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nothingness Spanish Central: Translation of nothingness Nglish: Translation of nothingness for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nothingness

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up nothingness? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

bloviate

play

to speak or write verbosely and windily

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  2. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  3. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

  4. salacious 'arousing or appealing to sexual desire'

  5. oligarch 'government in which a small group exercises control'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

nothingness

Test Your Vocabulary

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

  • image1926873504
  • Which of the following best describes an easily irritated person?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5ada140ed3e28
'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Why not both?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed
Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

alt-5ad8d3361fb97
Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From

You're on the edge of your seat

alt-5ad77fad37d22
What the #@*% Is a ‘Grawlix'?

We can thank Beetle Bailey.

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: nothingness in a Sentence