nobody

The word “nobody” means not any person; no one. In plain terms, either "no one at all," or, as a noun, someone seen as unimportant.

“Nobody” is pronounced NOH-bod-ee (/ˈnoʊ.bə.di/ in IPA).

Here is “nobody” used in a sentence: “Nobody answered when I knocked on the door.”

The opposite of “nobody” — its antonyms — are anybody, everybody, anyone, everyone and somebody.

Depending on how it is used, “nobody” can be a pronoun and a noun.

The word “nobody” comes from Middle English. From Middle English no body, literally "not any person.".

“Nobody” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Nobody” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: not any person; no one.

They mean exactly the same thing, not a single person, and are almost always interchangeable. 'No one' is written as two words and feels slightly more formal, while 'nobody' is a touch more casual. Both are treated as singular, so they take a singular verb: 'nobody is here'.

'Nobody' is grammatically singular and takes a singular verb, as in 'nobody was late'. In everyday speech, though, it is often followed by 'they' or 'their' when the person's gender is unknown, as in 'nobody brought their coat'. This mix of singular verb and plural pronoun is widely accepted.

The direct opposites are 'everybody' and 'everyone', meaning all people rather than none. 'Somebody' or 'someone' sits in the middle, referring to an unspecified single person. So a sentence can move from 'nobody came' through 'somebody came' to 'everybody came' as the number rises.

Yes. Used as a noun, 'a nobody' describes someone seen as insignificant or lacking status, as in 'he was a nobody before the show made him famous'. It is the opposite of a 'somebody', a person who is important or well known. This usage is informal and can sound dismissive.