Skip to main content
nothingness

nothingness

32 7.2
A state with no people or things in it
  • noun
  • /ˈnʌθɪŋnəs/
: nada
  • The philosopher spoke of nothingness as the absence of being and existence.
  • absurdity and nothingness
  • pure nothingness
  • absolute nothingness

There's just this blank, dark nothingness going on there.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Not the nothingness of empty space, but real nothingness, which has no size and no time.

  • If the laws of physics still apply, does that area of nothingness contain nothing?

  • Hundreds of miles of nothingness, just you and Mother Nature herself.

  • Then tell me about nothingness.

  • In the midst of nothingness we are.

  • Without them I'm lost in this nothingness.

  • We are left with a vast field of unfathomable nothingness of light, air and water.

  • I was always searching for oblivion, you know, just the nothingness, you know.

  • In effect, because of Godot's absence, nothingness occurs and the experience of nothingness happens.

    Academic text (1997)
  • With each breath of his name, the authentic ghost of the man would dim one shade at a time into nothingness.

Synonyms

nothing
vsnothingness
∞ 1.0

Not anything of interest or value

names the abstract state of complete nonexistence rather than casual absence
void
vsnothingness
182 6.5

A very empty space or feeling that is hard to fill

refers to absolute nonexistence rather than a difficult to fill feeling
vacuum
vsnothingness
  • Specialized
77 4.2

A space with no air or other matter

is the broader existential absence, not limited to physical emptiness
naught
vsnothingness
  • Archaic
30 8.3

The state of having no value, result, or importance

refers to full nonexistence rather than numeric zero or low value
nothin
vsnothingness
  • Informal
19 9.9

Not anything or zero

is the formal abstract state of complete nonexistence, not casual speech
emptiness
vsnothingness
14 3.6

A space or place that has nothing in it

is total nonexistence rather than merely lacking items in a place
zilch
vsnothingness
  • Informal
7 8.5

Nothing at all

means absolute nonexistence, not just a slang emphasis on zero
nada
vsnothingness
  • Informal
6 9.4

Nothing at all

names total nonexistence rather than a casual or slang expression
nonexistence
vsnothingness
5 7.0

A state in which something is not there

is the same existential state expressed with another common noun
blankness
vsnothingness
4 4.3

A feeling of emptiness with no thoughts or emotion

means absolute nonexistence rather than a simple surface or visible gap
voidness
vsnothingness
  • Formal
3 9.9

A state in which things do not have their own separate, lasting existence

focuses on complete nonexistence rather than a philosophical lack of independence
nonbeing
vsnothingness
  • Formal
1 9.8

The state of not existing

is the general term for total absence of existence
vacuousness
vsnothingness
  • Formal
1 9.2

A state of being empty of meaning and thought

denotes complete nonexistence rather than lack of thought or meaning
nihility
vsnothingness
9.9

A state in which nothing exists

is the same state expressed by another noun form
nullity
vsnothingness
9.9

A situation when something does not exist

emphasizes total nonexistence as a pure existential state
vacuity
vsnothingness
9.7

An empty space with nothing inside

focuses on total nonexistence rather than mere empty space or lack

Antonyms

∞ 1.4

The way things really are, not how we imagine or wish

838 2.8

The state of being real or alive

How Empty

nothingness
32 7.2
void
5 4.9
emptiness
14 3.6
vacancy
5 2.7
sparsity
1 7.6
fullness
7 2.7

Surface Forms

nothingness singular
nothingnesses plural

Morphology

nothingness = nothing (transparent) = nothing + ness

Formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ness' to the common word 'nothing', yielding the state or quality of being nothing, which is directly inferable.

Etymology

Nothingness comes from the familiar word nothing, which is no- + thing, where no- means 'not' and thing means 'object', and the ending -ness turns it into a word for a 'state'. So nothingness is the 'state of being no thing', which is why it means a complete lack of anything.