nada
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of nada
From Spanish, from Latin (rēs) nāta “circumstance,” literally, “(thing) born”; compare Catalan res, French rien, Portuguese nada, all formed similarly; see rebus ( def. ), natal ( def. )
Explanation
Nada means "nothing." The kids next door will be disappointed if they learn that their lemonade stand has earned them nada. The noun nada is an informal way to say "zero." If you ask a deli worker how many plain bagels he has, and he answers, "Nada," it means they're out of your favorite kind. If you leave your calculus class completely confused, you can say that you understand nada. Most experts attribute the English use of nada to Ernest Hemingway, who borrowed it from Spanish, in which it means "nothing." The Latin root, nata, means "small, insignificant thing."
Vocabulary lists containing nada
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But if you die first, your $100,000 equity and $30,000 in stocks go to your husband, and your kids get zero — nothing, zilch, nada.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
These include committing to delaying giving children any devices of their own as long as possible—no tablets, no gaming consoles, nada.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
I passed by El Toro Carniceria, which Pantoja once favored because nearly all of Santa Ana’s semanarios were available — nada.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2024
I looked in my trunk for oil — nada.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 23, 2022
“De nada, ” Kevin said with a grin, and Alex grinned back.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
