nobody
gb/nˈoʊbˌɑdi/ us/nˈoʊbˌɑdi/
A1
English
~ 1600
Senses
0 senses
pronoun
A1
quantity
1
no person; not anyone
Not any person; no one.
Usage pattern:
[nobody] [verb] ...
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'nobody' with 'anybody' in negative sentences. 'Nobody' is already negative, so it doesn't need 'not'. For example, say 'Nobody came', not 'Nobody didn't come'.
Synonyms
no one (Interchangeable in most contexts, but 'no one' is slightly more formal.)
Antonyms
everybody (Refers to all people, the opposite of no person.)
Collocations
nobody knows
|nobody cares
|nobody else
|nobody told
|nobody understands
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Nobody knows where she went.
- Nobody was at home when I called.
- Nobody can solve this problem.
- Nobody saw what happened.
- Nobody wanted to leave early.
Learner examples
- Nobody is in the room.
- Nobody can help me.
- Nobody likes cold food.
- Nobody is here now.
- Nobody wants to be late.
Noun
B1
entity
2
an unimportant or unknown person
A person who is not known or important.
Usage pattern:
a [nobody] in [place/field]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun 'nobody' with the pronoun meaning 'no person'. As a noun, it refers to someone's status or importance, not just absence of people.
Synonyms
nonentity (More formal and less common; often used in writing.)
Antonyms
somebody (Refers to an important or well-known person.)
Collocations
a complete nobody
|feel like a nobody
|treated like a nobody
Themes
social life
|identity
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He used to be a nobody before his music went viral.
- She felt like a nobody in her new school.
- Don't treat me like a nobody; I have skills too.
- The actor was a nobody until that blockbuster role.
- In politics, he was a nobody until last year.
Learner examples
- I felt like a nobody at the party.
- He was a nobody before the show.
- She is not a nobody; she is very smart.
- They called him a nobody, but he proved them wrong.
- I don’t want to be a nobody.
Grammar
Dictionary form
nobody
IPA
GB/nˈoʊbˌɑdi/
US/nˈoʊbˌɑdi/
Syllables & stress
nobody (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (nobody)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: nobody
- Plural: nobodies
Word family
Expressions
like nobody's business
1/lˈaɪk nˈoʊbˌɑdiz bˈɪznɪs/
idiom
informal
very fast or well; intensely
To do something very well, fast, or strongly.
Examples
- She can type like nobody's business.
- He plays the guitar like nobody's business.
nobody's perfect
1/nˈoʊbˌɑdiz pˈɚfɛkt/
idiom
everyone makes mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes; no one is perfect.
Examples
- Don't worry about the error—nobody's perfect.
- I forgot my lines, but hey, nobody's perfect.
nobody's perfect
2/nˈoʊbˌɑdiz pˈɚfɛkt/
idiom
informal
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes
Used to say that it is normal for people to make mistakes.
Examples
- Don't be too hard on yourself—nobody's perfect.
- I forgot your birthday, sorry. Nobody's perfect.