naught
gb/nˈɔt/ us/nˈɔt/
C1
English
~ 25500
semmi, hiába, nulla, kudarc, meghiúsulás
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
1
Usage pattern:
[something] amounts to naught
All their careful planning came to naught in the storm.
Minden gondos tervezésük kárba veszett a viharban.
He feared that his sacrifices would be for naught.
Attól félt, hogy hiábavalóak lesznek az áldozatai.
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.
Learner examples
The long meeting was for naught, and nothing changed.
A hosszú megbeszélés hiábavaló volt, és semmi sem változott.
Their big plan came to naught in the end.
A nagy tervük végül kárba veszett.
He felt that his hard work was naught when the project closed.
Common mistake:
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'.
Meaning
nothing; the state of no thing
Collocations
for naught
|came to naught
|amounts to naught
|reduced to naught
|set at naught
Synonyms
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.)
Antonyms
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.)
Themes
philosophy
|mathematics
|core_vocabulary
|quantity
Definition
No thing or not anything; sometimes the number 0.
The state of having, being, or amounting to nothing; sometimes used for the number zero.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
kudarc
B1
meghiúsulás
B2
Usage pattern:
[plan/effort] comes to naught
Despite years of negotiation, the peace talks came to naught.
Az évekig tartó tárgyalások ellenére a béketárgyalások kudarcba fulladtak.
Her hopes of promotion were brought to naught by the sudden hiring freeze.
Az előléptetéssel kapcsolatos reményeit meghiúsította a hirtelen felvételi stop.
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.
Learner examples
Their big plan came to naught and they failed.
A nagy tervük kudarcba fulladt, és elbuktak.
His hopes for a new life came to naught.
Az új életre vonatkozó reményei meghiúsultak.
The project almost came to naught because of one small error.
Common mistake:
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.
Meaning
complete failure or ruin
Collocations
come to naught
|plans to naught
|efforts to naught
|ambitions to naught
|schemes to naught
Synonyms
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.)
Antonyms
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.)
Themes
success
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A state where a plan, effort, or hope fails completely and gives no good result.
A state in which an effort, plan, or hope results in complete failure or produces no useful result.
Grammar
Dictionary form
naught
IPA
GB/nˈɔt/
US/nˈɔt/
Syllables & stress
naught (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (naught)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: naught
- Plural: naught, naughts
Word family
Expressions
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.
Examples
- 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.
Examples
- 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.
Examples
- 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.
Examples
- They set at naught the warnings of the experts.
- The new regime set at naught the old laws.