naught

Everyday

1. (old-fashioned, literary) Nothing. tree →
2. (mainly US) Zero, the number 0 (UK and others usually write "nought"). tree →
3. A good-for-naught is a lazy or useless person who never does anything good. tree →

In the lessons

Found in old books, poems, the Bible and phrases: "come to naught" (fail, come to nothing), "all for naught" (for nothing, wasted). It tells the reader that effort was wasted or a plan failed.

Examples

• All their hard work came to naught when the rain washed the sandcastle away. tree →
• The knight's quest was all for naught. tree →
• "It is naught but a bad dream," said the wizard. tree →
• Their plans came to naught. tree →
• Without water, the seeds will grow to naught. tree →
• He cared naught for gold. tree →
• The final score was two to naught. (US) tree →
• “Alas!” said the young man, “her father is a wandering good-for-naught, who has forsaken wife and child, and gone off—who knows where? tree →

Note

Old-fashioned. Spelling trap: "naught" (nothing) and "nought" (zero, UK) are often mixed up; and "naughty" comes from "naught" but means badly behaved. Homophones in many accents: naught, nought.

Early Modern English

Meaning

Not any thing; nothing at all. tree →

Then and now

Old-fashioned; today we say nothing, and "naught" survives mostly in old or literary writing.

Examples

• "Hasn't thou naught for supper, dame?" said he to his wife. (More English Fairy Tales) tree →
• The next court you shall pay reverence to, but do naught nor say aught. (More English Fairy Tales) tree →
• “Alas!” said the young man, “her father is a wandering good-for-naught, who has forsaken wife and child, and gone off—who knows where? (The Crimson Fairy Book) tree →

Note

Today: nothing.