to know nothing
279
3.6
- phrasal verb
- /noʊ ˈnʌθɪŋ/
:
no saber nada
- Both will play important parts, but at this point we know nothing about them.
- know nothing about war
He says, you know, our level, we know nothing about this.
- He says, you know, our level, we know nothing about this.
- Like, for example, I know nothing about The Rock or Oprah, right?
Examples
-
You're all fishing in waters you know nothing about.
-
She knows nothing about the project because she just joined the team.
-
Uh, well, I know nothing about her.
-
My father knows nothing of this.
-
You know nothing about my word.
-
You know nothing about me.
-
Life here had been lived on a scale and in a style she knew nothing about.
Fiction book (1991) -
Now, two years later, my family still knows nothing of Mr. Miggs.
Fiction book (1990) -
Most of the locals today knew nothing about the history of wild cacao until Erickson started working here.
Academic text (2008) -
I know nothing about the upcoming election, so I can't give my opinion.
Synonyms
80
6.4
To not know anything about a subject or situation
5
7.5
To not know anything at all about something
4
9.0
I do not know
1
9.9
Tells others you have no idea and is rude
1
9.7
Have almost no idea about something
To not understand anything about a subject
Antonyms
How Knowledgeable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to have no knowledge' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'know' (to be aware of information) with 'nothing' (no thing). This simple negation/compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard English semantic composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Know nothing gives a simple image: the verb know plus the word nothing, like a head with no facts inside. So it means 'to have no knowledge'.