next to nothing

next to nothing

Almost nothing; a very small amount. It says a lot about our society that teachers get paid next to nothing while some celebrities do next to nothing and get paid millions.
See also: next, nothing
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

next to nothing

Fig. hardly anything; almost nothing. This car's worth next to nothing. It's full of rust. I bought this antique chair for next to nothing.
See also: next, nothing
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

next to ˈnothing

a very small amount; almost nothing: He knows a great deal about flowers but next to nothing about trees and shrubs. He was able to buy the neighbouring farm for next to nothing.
See also: next, nothing
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

next to nothing

A very small amount, barely more than nothing at all. This expression uses next to in the sense of “almost,” a usage dating from the seventeenth century, as in “She ate next to nothing,” or “I earned next to nothing last year.”
See also: next, nothing
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • a brass farthing
  • next to
  • catch the next wave
  • (one's) next of kin
  • one's next of kin
  • kin
  • your next of kin
  • in next to no time
  • from one moment to the next
  • see you next year
References in periodicals archive
About 25 per cent of those over 55 believed that their chances of acquiring an STI from unprotected sex were next to nothing, compared to 13 per cent of those aged 18-24.
Middle-aged Brits are ignoring sex disease risks
"Cortical thickness at any one age tells you next to nothing about intelligence," Shaw says.
Smarty brains: high-IQ kids navigate notable neural shifts
To say this, however, is to my mind to say next to nothing at all.
Richard Tuttle: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Yep, with just a few finishing nails, the placemats added wow to the walls for next to nothing.
Cut the clutter! We give this tidy, bright new bedroom an A+
As indicated by his emphases and by the choice of items for inclusion about nations he knows something about, and those he knows next to nothing about, the author's expertise lies south and southeast of the borders of the former Polish Commonwealth.
History Derailed: Central and Eastern Europe in the Long Nineteenth Century
Developed by a Colorado team using a pliable resin, these naturally antimicrobial shoes cushion feet, won't slip on wet surfaces, and weigh next to nothing. "We started by trying to design the best boating shoe we could," says Crocs cofounder George Boedecker.
Gear: Crocs rock
Men were to expensive to employ, so they employed women instead, paid them next to nothing and nicknamed them 'computers'.
Culture: Radio Choice; The Harvard Computers Radio Four, 9pm
Moving from London to San Francisco to set up a new business in a market I knew next to nothing about.
Personality
A commodity item that costs next to nothing today, and even less next year.
Are smart fasteners for real?
One of those cultural products is this collection of linoleum cuts, by artists Tony Perez and Lin Shi Khan, about whom next to nothing is known.
Remembering Scottsboro: during the 1930s, two unknown artists created a series of linoleum cuts telling the story of slavery and racism in the American South. Seldom was protest art so linked to political action as it was in the campaign to free the "Scottsboro Boys."
The bronze doors have "panels which portray a mix of Christian, pre-Christian and non-Christian symbols." They are done by artist Robert Graham, who is not Catholic and apparently knows next to nothing about Christianity.
Paganism in the Cathedral. (News in Brief: United States)
African Americans gained next to nothing in the most recent mid-term elections.
What empowerment requires. (Publisher's Page)
In comparison, staff in the NHS get next to nothing and deserve more.
View Points: Firefighters' pay claim is ridiculous
In its magazine ad, ASKO said of its energy efficient kitchen appliances, "Like most Swedish supermodels, they consume next to nothing." ASKO representative Joe Yoder wrote, "The offending ad will not run again.
Flexing some muscle. (Girls)
Investors would buy a dilapidated building for next to nothing. They would then work with a community group eligible to secure a federally insured loan.
Developmental disability: HUD boondoggles show why bad government programs are so hard to kill. (Columns)