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Glite Dictionary
no there there

no there there

1 9.9
Something that has no real substance or important facts
  • idiom
  • Literature
translation icon : no hay sustancia
  • The report promised great developments, but after review, it was clear there is no there there.

Examples

  • She was excited about the new project, but after further investigation, she found there was no there there.

  • There is no "there" there.

    Blog text (11)

  • Critics argue that the film was all hype and no substance, claiming there is no there there.

Synonyms

meaningless
vsno there there
226 5.1

Having no meaning, value, or purpose

is broader and stresses lack of substance and validity
nothing but nonsense
vsno there there
  • Informal
1 6.0

Things people say that are completely untrue or pointless

is more neutral, indicating lack of substance or validity

Antonyms

substance
188 4.3

The main idea of something said or written

validity
  • Specialized
56 4.4

Showing that an idea is logical and factually correct

How Substantial

substantial
394 5.0
meaningful
327 3.3
no there there
  • Literature
1 9.9
meaningless
226 5.1

Surface Forms

no there there main

Morphology

no + there + there

The phrase 'no there there' (as in 'there's no there there') is an idiomatic, non-compositional use of 'there' and 'no'—the repetition and the abstract sense of 'there' do not yield the meaning 'lacks substance' from the literal meanings of the constituents. Its meaning is metaphorical and historically contingent, so a B1 learner who knows 'no' and 'there' would not reliably infer the idiomatic sense without prior exposure.

Etymology

No there there may come from writer Gertrude Stein, who wrote that her old hometown 'there is no there there' because it had changed and felt empty. So no there there now means that something has 'nothing real' or 'no real value'.