Nothing will come of nothing

Cultural

You will gain nothing if you invest nothing. This saying is spoken by the title character in the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare. King Lear is telling his daughter Cordelia that she will gain no favors from him if she does not make elaborate speeches saying she loves him.

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 for the time being, it appears that nothing will come of nothing.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023