for nothing

Related to for nothing: Good For Nothing

for nothing

1. For no money or other exchange; without charge. Because we had such an awful experience, the manager offered to give us our meal for nothing. I'm willing to give you the furniture for nothing as long as you can come and collect it.
2. Without a meaningful or successful outcome. I can't believe they shut the project down. Four months of work for nothing.
3. For no purpose or reason. People don't call me Mr. Green Thumb for nothing! This isn't a big deal! You're getting mad for nothing.
See also: nothing
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

for ˈnothing


1 without paying; free: We got into the concert for nothing because my uncle works there. They were giving packets of sweets away for nothing at the supermarket this morning.
2 (do something and) not achieve what you wanted; (do something) for no reason or purpose: All that hard work for nothing! When I got to Berlin, he’d already left. I’d made the journey for nothing.
See also: nothing
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

for nothing

1. Free of charge.
2. To no avail: all that trouble for nothing.
3. For no reason: fired him for nothing.
See also: nothing
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • awful
  • I'm awful with/at names
  • hell on earth
  • a hell on earth
  • like a bad dream
  • learn (one's) lesson
  • learn one's lesson
  • learn your lesson
  • learned
  • IM
References in periodicals archive
thrives on lots more brilliant people applying their skills for nothing.
Do something for nothing
What could be more fearful than the prospect of working desperately hard for nothing? Well, I know one thing that's even more frightening: stripping down to a leotard and tights and dancing my own choreography for an audience.
In praise of uselessness
* And--most important--don't forget to offer your readers something for nothing.
Living off the fat of the land: the only people benefiting from diet books are the authors
But it's good for nothing, and it ought to be abandoned.
The unimportant nations
The person who has nothing will ask for nothing and take nothing from you.
Everything
I have so little respect for the Catholic League," says Eddie Siebert, a creative consultant for Nothing Sacred who helped coordinate a group of Catholic leaders in support of the program "[The league is] a very small group and not spokespeople for the Catholic Church." Still, says Siebert, the league has its defenders.
Censorship: offending Catholics - what's the Catholic League got against 'Priest,' 'Nothing Sacred,' and now Terrence McNally's new play, 'Corpus Christi'?