nobody

American  

[noh-bod-ee, -buhd-ee, -buh-dee] / ˈnoʊˌbɒd i, -ˌbʌd i, -bə di /

pronoun

1. no person; not anyone; no one.

   Nobody answered, so I hung up.

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noun

plural

nobodies

1. a person of no importance, influence, or power.

nobody British  

/ ˈnəʊbədɪ /

pronoun

1. no person; no-one

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noun

1. an insignificant person

nobody Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing nobody

• like crazy (nobody's business)

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Etymology

Origin of nobody

First recorded 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at no ², body

Compare meaning

How does nobody compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• no one vs. nobody

Explanation

Use the word nobody to mean "no one," or for someone who's completely unimportant or insignificant. It's not nice to call someone a nobody; everyone wants to be a somebody. If nobody is at home, you can ring the doorbell for an hour and get no response, and if nobody in your family likes pizza, there's no reason to order it for dinner. Since nobody means "no person," it's come to also have the meaning "insignificant person." It's hard not to feel like a nobody when your sister becomes famous after starring in a popular movie.

Example Sentences

“Twenty-five years ago, nobody could run those climate models, or these huge simulations of atmospheres,” Davenport says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

"People who came out today should be very proud of themselves, because it must be awful to think that, you know, if you die, there would be nobody there at your funeral."

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

“He built a company of risk-takers and a culture where character matters and nobody rests in the pursuit of excellence.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

I know nobody who has ever been there.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Even if Jonah weren’t guarding the door, she’d made sure that nobody could sneak up on her.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• nothing