nobody

American  

[noh-bod-ee, -buhd-ee, -buh-dee] / ˈnoʊˌbɒd i, -ˌbʌd i, -bə di /

pronoun

1. no person; not anyone; no one.

   Nobody answered, so I hung up.

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noun

nobodies plural

1. a person of no importance, influence, or power.

nobody British  

/ ˈnəʊbədɪ /

pronoun

1. no person; no-one

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noun

1. an insignificant person

nobody Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing nobody

• like crazy (nobody's business)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nobodies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nobody

First recorded 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at no ², body

Compare meaning

How does nobody compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• no one vs. nobody

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.

Example Sentences

The message: Nobody notices, nobody cares, and it all ends in destruction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Zelensky said meanwhile on Sunday that "Nobody will ever again dictate to Ukrainians what heroes we honour."

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

Nobody expected that the Feeneys would go on for half a century, but every winter and spring that passed, the team would be back on the diamond, albeit with a rotating cast.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

Nobody in the Scotland camp is hiding from that.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Nobody felt like sleeping, either, and the survivors of the battle didn’t go back to their quarters after they landed.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• nothing