nowhere

1 of 3

adverb

no·​where ˈnō-ˌ(h)wer How to pronounce nowhere (audio)
-(h)wər
1
: not in or at any place
The book is nowhere to be found.
2
: to no place
I've gotten nowhere with my research.
Arguing will get us nowhere.
3
: not at all : not to the least extent
usually used with near
nowhere near as serious
nowhere near enough

nowhere

2 of 3

noun

1
: a nonexistent place
2
: an unknown, distant, or obscure place or state
rose to fame out of nowhere

nowhere

3 of 3

adjective

: of or relating to a remote or relatively unknown location
a nowhere town
Phrases
miles from nowhere
: in an extremely remote place

Examples of nowhere in a Sentence

Adverb I have nowhere to go. Nowhere is there more of a population problem than in this city. Noun from the looks of things, we're stranded in nowhere and most likely its proverbial middle in a few short years he rose out of nowhere to prominence in the tech industry
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adverb
Still, her doubts come out of nowhere, which feels not only disingenuous to the character, but to the audience as well. Courtney Howard, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024 Living out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest on a couple of sides and fields on the others, had one distinct advantage -- a beautiful patch of sky to watch the stars unimpeded by light. April Wallace, arkansasonline.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
The most enduring symbol of that series: Manu Ginobili at age 36, weaving his way through traffic in Game 5, giving a stiff-arm to 2013 tormentor Ray Allen before exploding for an out-of-nowhere dunk on Chris Bosh. Jeff McDonald, ExpressNews.com, 18 May 2020 While the series has officially concluded, this comeback special fast forwards to an entirely new, out-of-nowhere plot point and is therefore easy to watch for novices. Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 13 May 2020
Adjective
With nowhere to go, the pair decide to set about, with only £115 ($150) in their pockets, walking the South West Coast Path — a 630-mile stretch. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024 Now, Ferguson, 52, is staying in his third shelter since being displaced and faces the grim prospect of a long, cold winter with nowhere to call home. Lewis Kamb, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nowhere 

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nowhere was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near nowhere

Cite this Entry

“Nowhere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nowhere. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nowhere

1 of 2 adverb
no·​where ˈnō-ˌhwe(ə)r How to pronounce nowhere (audio)
-ˌwe(ə)r,
-ˌhwa(ə)r,
-ˌwa(ə)r,
-hwər,
-wər
1
: not in or at any place
2
: to no place
3
: not at all : not to the least extent
usually used with near
nowhere near enough

nowhere

2 of 2 noun
: a place that does not exist
sounds seeming to come from nowhere

More from Merriam-Webster on nowhere

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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