Cool MateNo good vs Nothing good
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
No good
InformalTop 3,000 (common)
Nothing good
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most formal: Nothing goodMost common: No good
| No good | Nothing good | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //nəʊ ɡʊd//🇺🇸 //noʊ ɡʊd// | 🇬🇧 //ˈnʌθɪŋ ɡʊd//🇺🇸 //ˈnʌθɪŋ ɡʊd// |
| Meaning | Not acceptable or useful. | No good things exist |
| Example | This plan is no good; we need to rethink it. | After hearing the news, I felt that there was **nothing good** left to hope for. |
| Register | Informal | Neutral |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| Collocations | no good at all, no good for something, feel no good, it's no good, no good reason | nothing good to say, see nothing good, find nothing good |
| Common mistakes | Overusing it in formal writing or speech., 'No good' mistaken for 'not good', which is more common., Using it without context, making the meaning unclear. | Confused with 'nothing is good' - 'Nothing good' suggests absence rather than a statement about quality., Using it in overly formal contexts - it is more suited for casual communication. |
| Usage notes | Typically used to express dissatisfaction or disapproval. It's informal and may not be suitable in formal settings. | Used typically in informal conversations to express disappointment or negativity. Not suitable for formal writing or speech. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: No good vs Nothing good
What's the difference between No good and Nothing good?
No good: Not acceptable or useful. Nothing good: No good things exist
Which is more formal: No good and Nothing good?
Nothing good is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: No good and Nothing good?
No good is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
No good: This plan is no good; we need to rethink it. Nothing good: After hearing the news, I felt that there was **nothing good** left to hope for.
Can I use No good and Nothing good interchangeably?
Not always. No good and Nothing good are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.