Nobody
ˈnoʊbɑdi
Definitions
2 meaningsNot any person; no one.
ˈnoʊbɑdi
Not a single person; no person.
Nobody likes being ignored.
💡 Simply: It means there's not even one person. Like, if you ask "Who ate the cookies?" and nobody did, then nobody did it!
👶 For kids: It means no person at all.
More Examples
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen.
Nobody answered the phone.
How It's Used
"Nobody saw the accident."
"Nobody in the legal team was aware of the plans."
A person of no importance or influence; an insignificant person.
ˈnoʊbɑdi
A person of no importance or influence.
She felt like a nobody in that crowd of celebrities.
💡 Simply: It's like saying someone isn't important or famous. Like, before they became a pop star, they were a nobody.
👶 For kids: It means someone who is not famous or important.
More Examples
He was a nobody before he became famous.
The film was made by nobodies.
How It's Used
"He was a nobody before he won the lottery."
"He was treated like a nobody, invisible and ignored."
Idioms & expressions
nobody's home
Used to describe a situation where a person is mentally absent or unaware of what is happening.
"He just stood there, staring into space; it was like nobody's home."
From Old English nā 'no' + body 'body'. Originally used to express a lack of a physical body, then evolved to mean a person of no importance or notoriety.
The word 'nobody' appears in various forms in Old English, originally referring to a lack of a physical body and later evolving to indicate lack of importance. It became common in Middle English.
Memory tip
Think of a situation where you're looking for someone but can't find anyone; there's nobody there.
Word Origin
"nā (no) + body (physical form)"