nowhere

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adverb no·where \ ˈnō-ˌ(h)wer , -(h)wər \

Definition of nowhere

1 :not in or at any place

The book is nowhere to be found.

2 :to no place

I've gotten nowhere with my research.

Arguing will get us nowhere.

3 :not at all :not to the least extent —usually used with near

nowhere near as serious

nowhere near enough

See nowhere defined for English-language learners

See nowhere defined for kids

Examples of nowhere in a Sentence

I have nowhere to go.
Nowhere is there more of a population problem than in this city.

Recent Examples of nowhere from the Web

But nowhere is the retreat on Lee more fraught than in the Old Dominion, his beloved home state.

— steve hendrix, Washington Post, "The day white Virginia stopped admiring Gen. Robert E. Lee and started worshipping him," 22 Aug. 2017
Instead of coming to help control an intoxicated and violent fan, stadium security was nowhere around, court documents say.

— glenn e. rice, kansascity, "Lawsuit argues Kansas City Chiefs failed to provide adequate security at home games," 8 Aug. 2017
There is no organized unit for women because there is nowhere to house them separately, Capasso said.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Harford jail unit aids inmates serious about recovery from addiction," 7 Aug. 2017
For some reason, perhaps the pressure from parents, perhaps the pressure from bosses, teachers are grading more leniently, and nowhere is this more apparent than in wealthier, white schools and in private schools.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "More students get A’s than any other grade. What does that say about us?," 27 July 2017
And while the risks are nowhere near as big when you are treated by a medical professional, your skin pigment can be lightened.

— lauren chan, Glamour, "What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Tattoo Removal," 26 July 2017
These passages of Nowhere to Hide succeed in humanizing the ongoing conflict in Iraq.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Film / Foreign Nowhere to Hide is the most essential documentary of the year," 20 July 2017
Contrast that with the chaotic White House, convulsing amid a series of controversies surrounding Trump's family members, who many argue should be nowhere near the corridors of power.

— ishaan tharoor, Washington Post, "Macron is the president Trump wishes he could be," 13 July 2017
Hawkers, beggars and street prostitutes are nowhere to be seen.

— The Economist, "Paul Kagame, feted and feared," 13 July 2017

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

First Known Use of nowhere

before 12th century

nowhere

noun

Definition of nowhere

1 :a nonexistent place

2 :an unknown, distant, or obscure place or state

rose to fame out of nowhere

— miles from nowhere

:in an extremely remote place

See nowhere defined for English-language learners

Examples of nowhere in a Sentence

from the looks of things, we're stranded in nowhere and most likely its proverbial middle
in a few short years he rose out of nowhere to prominence in the dot-com world

Recent Examples of nowhere from the Web

Into the worst Philadelphia Phillies season in 56 years has dropped the most curious and welcome of baseball joys: the out-of-nowhere August phenom.

— dave sheinin, chicagotribune.com, "Amid historically bad Phillies season, Rhys Hoskins is smashing records and chasing Ted Williams," 30 Aug. 2017
Separately, at least a dozen facilities were flaring or burning off excess gas that had nowhere to go, because production at the sites had stalled, or because other gas plants in the area had shut down.

— clifford krauss and hiroko tabuchi, New York Times, "Harvey’s Toll on Energy Industry Shows a Texas Vulnerability," 29 Aug. 2017
But in the end, the energy of The Defenders feels focused too much on the fight scenes and nowhere near enough on plot, or character development, or on anything that could inject some lifeblood into the limp sketch that is Danny Rand.

— josephine livingstone, New Republic, "The Defenders Could Be a Good Show, if it Weren’t for its Awful Main Character," 29 Aug. 2017
While Southern California and much of the West cooked in July under a pair of heat waves that killed livestock, knocked out power and encouraged wildfires, nowhere was the heat more brutally enduring than in Death Valley.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Death Valley breaks 100-year-old record for hottest month ever in July," 3 Aug. 2017
He was gobbled up, and would routinely have nowhere to go once Peters beat him off the snap.

— jeff mclane, Philly.com, "Eagles practice observations: Marcus Johnson catching on; Tim Jernigan brings it; C.J. Smith a dark horse," 1 Aug. 2017
What's more, fans got a hint of the EP with a catchy single—and to boot, its video includes an out-of-nowhere starring appearance from a video game.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Trent Reznor’s cold call led to an awesome game-filled Nine Inch Nails video," 13 July 2017
Water underground normally flows toward the river, but when the river is at or above flood stage, there’s nowhere for the underground water to go, said Robert Bousfield, a city engineer who was involved in monitoring the river this spring.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Water damage to Ann Morrison Park brings some to tears," 3 July 2017
The Apple Pencil works well but doesn't provide any additional functionality, and there's nowhere to store it.

— lisa eadicicco, Fortune, "Apple iPad Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Pro: Which Tablet Is Right For You?," 22 June 2017

First Known Use of nowhere

15th century

nowhere Synonyms

Synonyms

boondocks, boonies [slang], countryside, country, sticks

Antonyms

celebrity, fame, notoriety, renown

Related Words

exurbia; backcountry, backwater, backwoods, bush, frontier, hinterland, outback, up-country; wild, wilderness

Near Antonyms

conurbation, megalopolis, urban sprawl

nowhere

adjective

Definition of nowhere

:of or relating to a remote or relatively unknown location

a nowhere town

Recent Examples of nowhere from the Web

Although a sand pile was nowhere to be seen at the location, two women present used plastic, empty butter containers to scoop up plots of dirt under the overpass for their white sandbags.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "New Orleanians prepare for Harvey, stocking up on sandbags and supplies," 25 Aug. 2017
Jeff Masters, Weather Underground's meteorology director, said this could cause a collision of high water with nowhere to go.

— Bloomberg.com, "URGENT: The Latest: Hurricane Harvey Strengthens to Category 4," 25 Aug. 2017
Of course, this fantasy 30-year-old’s student loans are long gone, and credit-card debt is nowhere to be seen.

— charlotte cowles, The Cut, "How Much Money Should I Have by the Time I’m 30?," 24 Aug. 2017
Smith asked Arrogate to move with a little more than a half-mile remaining, and the horse made a mild bid going around the stretch turn, but his customary burst was nowhere to be found.

— jay posner, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Arrogate shocked in San Diego Handicap at Del Mar," 22 July 2017
But soon after the festivities had settled, one team was nowhere to be found.

— robert newhouse, Teen Vogue, "6 Burundian Teens Disappeared after a Robotics Competition," 21 July 2017
Whilst playing for Barnsley in Saturday's fixture with Sheffield Wednesday, Kent produced a stunning piece of skill to beat two opposition players out on the touchline, having found himself with almost nowhere to go.

— SI.com, "The Future Looks Bright! Liverpool Loanee Shows Insane Skill While Playing for Barnsley," 19 July 2017
What is now the site of the Dakpark, a dike in a poor, largely immigrant neighborhood bordering industrial waterfront, once was a railway switching station, a grim nowhere place abutting a cluster of social housing blocks.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "The Dutch teach Louisiana, others, how to cope with rising sea," 16 June 2017
Likewise, victims of natural disasters often have great legal needs and nowhere else to turn except to legal services offices.

— erwin chemerinsky, Orange County Register, "Don’t eliminate funding for legal services," 23 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of nowhere

1889

NOWHERE Defined for English Language Learners

nowhere

play

adverb

Definition of nowhere for English Language Learners

: not in or at any place

nowhere

noun

Definition of nowhere for English Language Learners

: no place

NOWHERE Defined for Kids

nowhere

play

adverb no·where \ ˈnō-ˌhwer , -ˌwer \

Definition of nowhere for Students

1 :not in or at any place

The book is nowhere to be found.

2 :to no place

We've gone nowhere all week.

3 :not at all

That's nowhere near enough.

nowhere

noun

Definition of nowhere for Students

:a place that does not exist

The sound seems to be coming from nowhere.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nowhere Spanish Central: Translation of nowhere Nglish: Translation of nowhere for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nowhere for Arabic speakers

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First Known Use of nowhere

nowhere

Definition of nowhere

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nowhere Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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nowhere

Definition of nowhere

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NOWHERE Defined for English Language Learners

nowhere

Definition of nowhere for English Language Learners

nowhere

Definition of nowhere for English Language Learners

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nowhere

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Definition of nowhere for Students

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