Meanings
- idiomaticnot comparableCertainly; definitely; (sometimes also obliquely) thoroughly; wholly; to a high degree; extremely.
He's nothing if not a liar.
He is certainly a liar.
2 more examples
Near-synonyms: nothing less than, nothing but
Well, thrift is a virtue, and he's nothing if not careful with money.
Not only denotes that he is certainly careful with money (frugal) but also obliquely implies that he is very careful with money (miserly).
Synonyms: nothing less than, nothing but · Antonyms: anything but
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbCertainly; definitely; (sometimes also obliquely) thoroughly; wholly; to a high degree; extremely.
Origin
Literally, asserts the truth of a statement by saying that the alternative is void.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
nothing if not. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nothing%20if%20not
“nothing if not.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nothing%20if%20not. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nothing if not,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nothing%20if%20not.
Source: nothing if not on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.