nothingness

noun

noth·ing·ness | \ ˈnə-thiŋ-nəs

How to pronounce nothingness (audio)

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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

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about nothingness

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Synonyms & Antonyms for nothingness

Synonyms

Antonyms

existence,
life

Examples of nothingness in a Sentence

He was staring into nothingness. The sound faded into nothingness.

Recent Examples on the Web Each of Cube’s vibrant sides—red, blue, yellow, green, teal, pink—contrasts dramatically with the ink-black nothingness of its surroundings. — Emma Allen, The New Yorker, "A Sampling of the Best Shouts of 2020," 17 Dec. 2020 My body, paralyzed from the shoulders down, felt like absolute nothingness. — Francesco Clark, refinery29.com, "Almost 20 Years Ago, I Became Paralyzed. Now, That Experience Has Helped Me Through The Pandemic," 9 Mar. 2021 Comforting nothingness would no more be a break from routine than a quiet evening at home. — New York Times, "How Nothingness Became Everything We Wanted," 19 Jan. 2021 The solidifying offensive additions (Jack Conklin, Jedrick Wills, Austin Hooper, Harrison Bryant) were done all at once, so the Browns could get to this point and revel in nothingness. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, "How the Cleveland Browns will improve through ‘nothing’ as much as any team in the NFL: Doug Lesmerises," 14 Mar. 2021 These particles could show up as quantum phantoms, appearing and disappearing just as fast out of nothingness, while the Higgs boson decays into more mundane particles, for example. — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, "Higgs Boson Looks "Standard," but Upgraded LHC May Tell a Different Tale," 26 June 2014 In Chinese thought, being and nonbeing, like yin and yang, are in harmony with each other—thus the kinship of infinity and nothingness. — Alan Lightman, The Atlantic, "‘It Seems That I Know How the Universe Originated’," 8 Feb. 2021 Quantum mechanics, the theory governing the infinitesimal world, doesn't allow for nothingness. — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, "The Cosmological Constant Is Physics’ Most Embarrassing Problem," 1 Feb. 2021 The title comes from the fact that both men are amateur astronomers and is a reference to the nothingness that awaits everyone eventually — especially the void that now faces Tusker. — Mark Kennedy, Star Tribune, "Review: 'Supernova' is a quiet burning star of a love story," 27 Jan. 2021

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.

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Dictionary Entries near nothingness

nothing in it (for someone)

nothing less than

nothing of the kind

nothing of the sort

Statistics for nothingness

Last Updated

10 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Nothingness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nothingness. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for nothingness

nothingness

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nothingness

: empty space

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

See the full definition for nothingness in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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