plenty of nothing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "plenty of nothing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a situation where there is an abundance of something that is ultimately worthless or meaningless. Example: "After hours of searching for answers, I realized I had found plenty of nothing in the reports."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Until it does, I have nothing more to say, except I've got plenty of nothing and nothing's plenty for me.

The New Yorker

They've got plenty of nothing We've heard about the gambling exploits of footballers, but what of their other interests?

The Guardian - Opinion

Not for the first time in recent years – nor the second, nor even the third – they came to Dublin full of anticipation and left with plenty of nothing.

Independent

The stakes are so high that even with the technical difficulties of being transparent, the ocean has got plenty of nothing.

The New York Times - Science

Instead of smiling vapidly and being pulled around in a cart by his goat as he sings the happy-go-lucky jive "I Got Plenty of Nothing," this Porgy fights to break out of the limited world of his damaged body and into a world of love.

The New Yorker

Symington did what he could to assuage LBJ (whose faux pas would fill a CD-ROM), only to arrive at the White House that night for the state dinner to find the following three songs listed on the post-dinner musical entertainment program: "I've Got Plenty Of Nothing," "On The Road To Mandalay" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

There's been much ado about something, plenty of nothing-somethings and somewhere in between since the video aired showing Ray Rice dragging his unconscious fiancé (now wife) Janay Palmer out of an Atlantic City casino elevator.

Huffington Post

For thousands of tourists and their all-important dollars, it was a case of plenty of time, nothing to do and nothing to buy.

The New York Times

There are plenty of homes where nothing is more than five years old.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"I've called plenty of times and nothing has ever been done.

The New York Times

By John Lahr "That Pretty Pretty; or, the Rape Play," at the Rattlestick, gives you plenty of rape and nothing pretty.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "plenty of nothing" to ironically highlight a situation where despite apparent activity or availability, there is no substantial outcome or value.

Common error

Avoid using "plenty of nothing" when you actually mean a complete absence of something. The phrase implies the presence of something inconsequential, not a total lack.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "plenty of nothing" functions primarily as a noun phrase, often used ironically or sarcastically to describe a situation where there is an abundance of something that lacks value, substance, or meaning. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "plenty of nothing" is a grammatically sound and usable expression that denotes an abundance of something without value or significance. Ludwig's analysis shows that this phrase, while not overly common, is primarily found in news and media contexts and functions as a noun phrase used to express disappointment or cynicism. Remember to use it when you want to highlight the irony of effort or resources yielding no meaningful results. While the phrase isn't extremely frequent, Ludwig confirms its correctness and suitability for expressing situations where there's an abundance of worthlessness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a lot of nothing

Replaces "plenty" with "a lot", indicating a large quantity of something insignificant.

much ado about nothing

Implies a great deal of fuss or excitement about a trivial matter.

an abundance of nothing

Substitutes "plenty" with "an abundance", emphasizing a large amount of something valueless.

a wealth of nothing

Uses "wealth" to sarcastically highlight the worthlessness of what's available.

a surplus of nothing

Replaces "plenty" with "surplus", suggesting an excess of something without value.

an excess of nothing

Indicates more than enough of something worthless, slightly more negative in tone.

bags of nothing

Uses "bags of" to colloquially describe a large quantity of something insignificant.

oodles of nothing

Employs "oodles" to suggest an exaggerated quantity of something meaningless.

loads of nothing

Similar to "bags of nothing", but with a slightly more informal tone.

nothing in abundance

Inverts the structure to emphasize the absence of value being abundant.

FAQs

How can I use "plenty of nothing" in a sentence?

You can use "plenty of nothing" to describe situations where there seems to be activity or resources, but ultimately little of value is produced. For example, "After all the meetings, we achieved "plenty of nothing"".

What is a similar expression to "plenty of nothing"?

A similar expression is "a lot of nothing", which also emphasizes the abundance of something worthless. You could also consider "much ado about nothing" for situations involving excessive fuss over trivial matters.

Is "plenty of nothing" a formal or informal expression?

"Plenty of nothing" tends to be more informal, suitable for casual conversations or less formal writing. In professional or academic settings, you might opt for a more direct phrasing like "lack of substantial results".

What's the difference between "plenty of nothing" and "absolutely nothing"?

"Plenty of nothing" implies that there is activity, resources, or opportunity, but no valuable outcome. "Absolutely nothing" suggests a complete absence of anything at all. The former has an ironic or sarcastic connotation.