nothing worked out

USAGE SUMMARY

'nothing worked out' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to convey a feeling of failure or disappointment. For example: "We tried our best, but in the end, nothing worked out."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Nothing worked out for the Giants.

The New York Times - Sports

It was a sad story, nothing worked out at all.

The New Yorker

"It seemed like nothing worked out right in my life".

The New York Times

"Nothing worked out," Maddux said after the game.

The New York Times - Sports

"I wanted to do something reckless because I'd played by the rules and nothing worked out," he said.

The New York Times - Arts

"I was having trouble choosing fabrics -- nothing worked out when I got it home". She tried sponge-painting her walls -- "I had taken a class," Ms. Fleischhacker said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

And that nothing works out, ever.

The Guardian - Film

What history actually shows is that nothing works out as planned, and that everything has unintentional consequences.

The New Yorker

"It's more like real life," says Kathryn Prickett, 18. "Nothing works out perfectly".

The New York Times - Arts

Nothing works out perfectly, but in this instance, I think it's fair to say that things worked out just fine.

Stanford University

You learn a lot about life when your dreams don't come true, when nothing works out the way you planned.

The New York Times - Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "nothing worked out" to express disappointment or resignation when efforts to achieve a goal have failed. It's appropriate for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

While acceptable, relying heavily on "nothing worked out" can sound repetitive. Substitute with stronger, more descriptive alternatives like "efforts proved fruitless" or "plans failed to materialize" in formal contexts for greater impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nothing worked out" functions as a concise expression of failure or lack of success. It serves to summarize situations where plans, efforts, or attempts have not yielded the desired results. As Ludwig AI points out, it is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "nothing worked out" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to express the failure of plans or efforts. As verified by Ludwig AI, this phrase is appropriate for various contexts, though it appears most frequently in News & Media. While versatile, writers should consider stronger alternatives in formal settings to avoid repetition. Understanding its function and usage patterns enhances effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

everything fell through

This alternative focuses on plans failing to materialize.

it all went wrong

This phrase emphasizes a negative outcome or a series of unfortunate events.

plans didn't pan out

This alternative specifically refers to the failure of planned actions.

it was all in vain

This suggests that effort was expended without achieving the desired result.

things didn't go as planned

A more general way of saying that expectations were not met.

the effort was fruitless

This emphasizes the lack of positive results from hard work.

it didn't come to fruition

Similar to “everything fell through”, this focuses on the failure of something to be completed.

the results were disappointing

This alternative focuses on the negative feelings after a failure.

success was not achieved

A more formal way of saying that the desired outcome was not reached.

the desired outcome eluded us

This phrase indicates that the goal was unattainable or difficult to grasp.

FAQs

How can I use "nothing worked out" in a sentence?

You can use "nothing worked out" to describe a situation where plans or efforts were unsuccessful. For example, "We tried to fix the car, but "nothing worked out"."

What can I say instead of "nothing worked out"?

You can use alternatives like "everything fell through", "it all went wrong", or "plans didn't pan out" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "nothing worked out"?

Yes, "nothing worked out" is grammatically correct and commonly used in English to express that attempts or plans were unsuccessful.

What's the difference between "nothing worked out" and "nothing was working out"?

"Nothing worked out" implies a completed event or series of events where there was no success, while "nothing was working out" suggests an ongoing situation where progress is lacking.