naught
gb/nˈɔt/ us/nˈɔt/
C1
Angličtina
~ 25500
Významy
0 významů
Podstatné jméno
literary
C1
state
1
nothing; the state of no thing
No thing or not anything; sometimes the number 0.
Vzorec užití:
[something] amounts to naught
Častá chyba:
Learners often confuse the spelling and usage of 'naught' and 'not'. 'Naught' is a noun meaning 'nothing' and is mainly literary or old-fashioned, while 'not' is an adverb used to make verbs negative (e.g., 'do not know'). Also, in modern English, 'nothing' is far more common than 'naught'.
Synonyma
nothing (Most common modern word; neutral in style, unlike the more literary or old-fashioned 'naught'.)
|
zero (Used especially for numbers or scores; 'naught' in this sense is now rare and sounds old-fashioned.)
Antonyma
something (Indicates the existence of a thing, directly opposing the idea of there being nothing.)
|
everything (Stresses the presence of all things, which contrasts strongly with the idea of nothing.)
Kolokace
for naught
|came to naught
|amounts to naught
|reduced to naught
|set at naught
Témata
philosophy
|mathematics
|core_vocabulary
|quantity
Příklady
- All their careful planning came to naught in the storm.
- He feared that his sacrifices would be for naught.
- Without trust, their promises are naught but empty words.
- Her efforts to warn them were naught in the eyes of the council.
- The years of work seemed naught compared to a single careless mistake.
Učební příklady
- The long meeting was for naught, and nothing changed.
- Their big plan came to naught in the end.
- He felt that his hard work was naught when the project closed.
Podstatné jméno
literary
C1
state
2
complete failure or ruin
A state where a plan, effort, or hope fails completely and gives no good result.
Vzorec užití:
[plan/effort] comes to naught
Častá chyba:
Learners may think 'come to naught' is the same as 'come to an end'. It specifically means to end in failure or with no useful result, not just to finish.
Synonyma
failure (Neutral and common; does not carry the slightly formal, literary tone of 'naught'.)
|
ruin (Stresses destruction or serious damage, while 'naught' can be more general about lack of result.)
Antonyma
success (Directly opposite, as it means that efforts or plans achieve the desired result.)
|
achievement (Highlights a positive result, contrasting with the idea of everything ending in nothing.)
Kolokace
come to naught
|plans to naught
|efforts to naught
|ambitions to naught
|schemes to naught
Témata
success
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- Despite years of negotiation, the peace talks came to naught.
- Her hopes of promotion were brought to naught by the sudden hiring freeze.
- Their attempt at reform came to naught after the election.
- The rescue mission nearly came to naught when the weather turned.
- All our careful preparations threatened to come to naught.
Učební příklady
- Their big plan came to naught and they failed.
- His hopes for a new life came to naught.
- The project almost came to naught because of one small error.
Gramatika
Výrazy
bring to naught
1/bɹˈɪŋ tə nˈɔt/
idiom
literary
cause to fail completely
To stop a plan, effort, or hope so that it fails and gives no good result.
Příklady
- A single mistake can bring years of careful work to naught.
- The sudden policy change brought their negotiations to naught.
come to naught
1/kˈʌm tə nˈɔt/
idiom
literary
end in complete failure
To fail completely and give no good or useful result.
Příklady
- Years of research came to naught when the funding was cut.
- The peace talks came to naught after a single violent incident.
for naught
1/fɚ nˈɔt/
fixed phrase
literary
in vain; for nothing
Without any result, benefit, or purpose; with no success.
Příklady
- He worried that all his late nights were for naught.
- They did not want their struggle to be for naught.
set at naught
1/sˈɛt ˈæt nˈɔt/
idiom
archaic
treat with complete disregard
To ignore something or someone completely and act as if it has no value or power.
Příklady
- They set at naught the warnings of the experts.
- The new regime set at naught the old laws.