nobody
Americanpronoun
noun
pronoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nobody
First recorded 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at no 2, body
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How does nobody compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use the word nobody to mean "no one," or for someone who's completely unimportant or insignificant. It's not nice to call someone a nobody; everyone wants to be a somebody. If nobody is at home, you can ring the doorbell for an hour and get no response, and if nobody in your family likes pizza, there's no reason to order it for dinner. Since nobody means "no person," it's come to also have the meaning "insignificant person." It's hard not to feel like a nobody when your sister becomes famous after starring in a popular movie.
Vocabulary lists containing nobody
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.
What nobody knew at the time was that the Knicks had just hit one of the biggest bargains in sports history—and the reason they would return to the Finals for the first time this century.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
So does whisking together a vinaigrette, simmering a stock or spending an afternoon fussing over a sauce that nobody asked you to make.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
According to Marcia, George was convinced he’d be laughed out of Hollywood because in the original script characters were running around and shooting at one another and nobody was getting hurt.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Speaking from Slovenia, Solak added: "In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about."
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
There is nobody who has spent as much time as I have wishing for that not to have been Luc’s ending.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
