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nobody

nobody

18 2.4
A person who is not important or well known
  • noun
  • /ˈnoʊˌboʊdi/
  • Offensive
translation icon : don nadie
  • From Lovel's vantage point, to be a Nobody is to be nothing at all.

So I went from being, you know, a nobody to being quite good.

Examples

  • So I went from being, you know, a nobody to being quite good.

  • The last thing the GOP wanted was for a relatively nobody candidate to open that door again.

    Blog text (25)
  • Staying in something too long serves nobody at all.

  • And I'm just a nobody, not just a girl.

  • It's called self esteem because nobody has to believe it but you.

  • No one will care if those nobodies are fired.

  • To me, it meant being somebody in a neighborhood full of nobodies.

  • Our parents were nobodies, and we were nobodies.

  • Why would a big movie star like Ginger go on a 3-hour tour with a bunch of nobodies?

  • As a nobody in the industry, he often felt overlooked during important meetings.

Synonyms

nought
vsnobody
  • Offensive
3 9.9

A person who is unimportant and ignored

is the common modern term for the same idea
cipher
vsnobody
  • Offensive
3 8.4

A person with no power or importance in a group

is about lacking social standing or broad significance
nonentity
vsnobody
  • Offensive
3 8.1

A person who is unimportant and has no influence

refers specifically to a person lacking social standing or influence
no-account
vsnobody
  • Offensive
2 8.9

A person who does not keep a steady job

emphasizes lack of social standing rather than moral blame
no-count
vsnobody
  • Offensive
1 8.9

A person or thing that others see as worthless

focuses on social standing and lack of influence rather than value
cypher
vsnobody
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who has no power or influence

is framed as lacking social standing rather than total unimportance

Antonyms

480 2.3

A famous person who many people know and is often an actor or sports player

1 2.5

An important person who is well known in a field

Idioms

Move your body freely and happily without worrying about being watched

People online can hide who they really are

How Important

celebrity
480 2.3
notable
5 4.1
nonentity
  • Offensive
3 8.1
nobody
  • Offensive
18 2.4
lightweight
  • Offensive
14 5.8

Surface Forms

nobody singular
nobodies plural

Morphology

nobody = no + body (semi-transparent) = no + body

Derived from 'no' + 'body' but the sense 'a person of no importance' is an extended, slightly figurative use rather than a purely literal composition.

Etymology

Nobody comes from the simple parts no and body, which together mean 'no person', and thinking of someone as 'no body' makes it easy to picture them as unknown or unimportant. So, calling someone a nobody says they are a person who is not important.