nothingness

[ nuhth-ing-nis ]

/ ˈnʌθ ɪŋ nɪs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nothingness ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being nothing.

something that is nonexistent: a view of humanity as suspended between infinity and nothingness.

lack of being; nonexistence: The sound faded into nothingness.

unconsciousness or death: She remembered a dizzy feeling, then nothingness.

utter insignificance, emptiness, or worthlessness; triviality: The days followed one another in an endless procession of nothingness.

something insignificant or without value.

RELATED WORDS

smallness, pettiness

Nearby words

nothing to sneeze at, nothing to speak of, nothing to write home about, nothing ventured, nothing gained, nothing will come of nothing, nothingness, notice, notice board, noticeable, notifiable, notifiable disease

Origin of nothingness

First recorded in 1625–35; nothing + -ness

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nothingness

This book seeks to fill that void (although arguably atheist kids should get used to nothingness sooner rather than later).
Are You There, Nobody? It’s Me, Margaret|Candida Moss|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I do not like this sense of God, this nothingness in which I now dwell.
How Losing My Daughter Changed My Faith|Kyle Cupp|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Attach Form(s) W-2” would be an exercise in the stapling of nothingness.
Up to a Point: I Do My Own Taxes With No Help, Except From a Couple of Bloody Marys|P. J. O’Rourke|April 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Athletes are also carefully trained in the Zen of nothingness.
Pro Sports’ Hero Deficit|Buzz Bissinger|July 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Will He cast me to nothingness after I have fulfilled my purpose?
A Dream of the North Sea|James Runciman
Each note is struck at the proper time, serves its purpose, and goes into nothingness.
The Lieutenant-Governor|Guy Wetmore Carryl
Then they came to nothingness by being referred to a Committee of the whole House.
Mrs. Warren's Daughter|Sir Harry Johnston
They were called the S'unyavdis, the proclaimers of Nothingness.
The Influence of Buddhism on Primitive Christianity|Arthur Lillie
And yet so often trouble, sorrow and heartache start in just that kind of nothingness.
Green Valley|Katharine Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for nothingness

nothingness

/ (ˈnʌθɪŋnɪs) /

noun

the state or condition of being nothing; nonexistence

absence of consciousness or life

complete insignificance or worthlessness

something that is worthless or insignificant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nothingness

nothingness

"nonexistence," 1630s, from nothing + -ness.