for nothing

adverb

For free.

“I got it for nothing. They are giving them away as publicity.”

Similar
for no good reason
Opposite
not for nothingwith good reason
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Meanings

adverbfor nothing (not comparable)
  1. not comparableFor free.

    I got it for nothing. They are giving them away as publicity.

  2. For no reason.
    1. not comparableIn vain, uselessly, wastefully, or pointlessly.

      I wrote ten pages of information for nothing. He just chucked it in a drawer without reading it!

    2. not comparableWithout cause or without due cause.

      A: Then he walked up to me and shoved me. B: What the hell? What for? A: For nothing!

      1 more example

      A: Then she filed suit against the restaurant. B: What the hell? For what? A: For nothing! Not so much for allegedly being negligent as for having some money that she might shake down!

      Synonyms: for no good reason · Antonyms: not for nothing, with good reason

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbWithout cause or without due cause.

Similar
for no good reason
Opposite
not for nothingwith good reason
Also see
for no good reasonfree

Translations

Arabic من دون مقابل
  • من دون مقابل1. for free
Dutch voor niets, voor niets
  • voor niets1. for free
  • voor niets2. for no reason
  • voor saus2. for no reason
Finnish ilmaiseksi, suotta
  • ilmaiseksi1. for free
  • suotta2. for no reason
  • turhaan2. for no reason
  • tyhjän takia2. for no reason
French pour rien, en pure perte
  • pour rien2. for no reason
  • en pure perte2. for no reason
German umsonst, für umsonst
  • umsonst1. for free
  • für umsonst1. for free
  • umsonst2. for no reason
  • für nichts2. for no reason
Latin grātīs, nēquīquam
  • grātīs1. for free
  • nēquīquam2. for no reason
  • frustrā2. for no reason
Māori utukore
  • utukore1. for free
Polish za darmo, na marne
  • za darmo1. for free
  • na marne2. for no reason
Russian зря, да́ром
  • зря (zrja)1. for free
  • да́ром (dárom)1. for free
  • впусту́ю (vpustúju)1. for free
  • без по́льзы (bez pólʹzy)1. for free
  • и́з-за пустяка́ (íz-za pustjaká)2. for no reason
  • напра́сно (naprásno)2. for no reason
  • понапра́сну (ponaprásnu)2. for no reason
Scottish Gaelic an-asgaidh
  • an-asgaidh1. for free
Spanish por gusto, por las puras
  • por gusto2. for no reason
  • por las puras2. for no reason
  • por las huevas2. for no reason
  • por las puras huevas2. for no reason
  • por las puras brevas2. for no reason
  • de balde2. for no reason
  • de momio2. for no reason
Cite this entry
APA

for nothing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20nothing

MLA

“for nothing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20nothing. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “for nothing,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20nothing.

Source: for nothing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.