nobody

nobody — pronoun

1. no person at all; not a single person — used when you want to say that not even

1.pronounA2
Definition

no person at all; not a single person — used when you want to say that not even one person does something, knows something, or is in a particular place.

Example

Nobody in the office knew about the surprise party.

pronoun takes singular verb: 'nobody knew' not 'nobody know'

Apinya called three times, but nobody answered the phone.

Common collocations
  • nobody else
  • nobody knows / nobody told / nobody answered
  • practically nobody
  • almost nobody
Synonyms
  • no one

    identical meaning; freely interchangeable in all contexts

  • not a single person

    more emphatic; often used for contrast or emphasis

  • none

    different grammar — used with 'of' + noun phrase ('none of them'); not a direct replacement for 'nobody' alone

Antonyms
  • everyone

    every person; opposite in terms of quantity

  • somebody

    an unspecified person; used in positive statements

Grammar Patterns

nobody + singular verb

Usage Note

Always takes a singular verb, even though it refers to 'not any people.' Compare with 'none,' which is used with 'of' (e.g., 'none of the students'). 'Nobody' and 'no one' are interchangeable; 'no one' is slightly more common in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

Nobody don't like the new rules.
Nobody likes the new rules.
Using 'nobody' with a negative verb creates a double negative.
Nobody know the answer.
Nobody knows the answer.
'Nobody' requires a singular verb form.
Nobody of the guests arrived early.
None of the guests arrived early.
'Nobody' is not used with 'of'; use 'none of' instead.

nobody — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: pronoun/1

'Nobody' and 'no one' are interchangeable in almost all situations — both mean 'not any person' and take a singular verb. 'No one' is slightly more common in formal texts, while 'nobody' feels a touch more natural in everyday speech. 'None' works differently: it requires a preceding noun phrase ('none of us', 'none of the books') and can refer to both people and things. 'Not a single person' is a more emphatic alternative, often used for contrast or to stress the completeness of the absence. For example: 'Nobody came to the meeting' (neutral), 'No one was willing to speak up' (slightly formal), 'None of the employees showed up' (specific group), and 'Not a single person raised their hand' (emphatic).

no onenobody ↗none ↗not a single person

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • nobody at all

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Middle English 'no body' (literally 'no person'), where 'body' was a common word for 'person' or 'human being,' as it still is in phrases like 'anybody' and 'everybody.' The noun sense ('an unimportant person') developed in the 1500s and 1600s.