Definition of zero - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
maththe symbol 0 in numbering systems
- The zero in binary is crucial for computing.
2.
mathematicsthe number representing no quantity
- Zero is neither positive nor negative.
3.
starting pointpoint on a scale where counting starts
- The thermometer shows 10 degrees above zero..
4.
- He felt like a zero at the party.
5.
math identityTECH. the additive identity in mathematicsTECH.
- Zero is the identity element in addition.
6.
historyTECH. Japanese fighter aircraft from WWIITECH.
- The Zero was a formidable plane in the war.
Adjective
1.
measurement scaleshowing none, with no amount or size that can be measured
- The gauge read zero after the system was turned off.
2.
originTECH. indicating an initial point or originTECH.
- The zero point on the graph marks the start.
3.
linguisticsTECH. present at an abstract level but not realizedTECH.
- The zero article is common in English grammar.
Verb
1.
aimingTECH. direct a weapon or camera at a targetTECH.
- The sniper zeroed in on the target from a distance..
2.
weaponTECH. US adjust a gun's sight to hit the target centerTECH. US
- The soldier zeroed his rifle at the range.
3.
eliminationmake something disappear or reduce to nothing
- The new policy zeroed the previous errors.
4.
artTECH. adjust an instrument to read zeroTECH.
- He zeroed the altimeter before takeoff.
Images of zero

Japanese fighter aircraft from WWII
Expressions with zero
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
starting point of an event or process
The project was developed from ground zero.
inability to stay calm or rational
He has zero chill when he's excited.
narrow down a search successfully
They zeroed in on the missing document.
the start of revolutionary change
The country declared year zero after the uprising.
at the exact time something is planned to start
The operation will commence at zero hour.
complete absence or failure of something
After all that effort, we got a big fat zero.
achieving great success from a humble beginning
The startup went from zero to hero in just two years.
suddenly become very intense or extreme very quickly
He can go from zero to 100 when he gets upset.
focus attention on something
She zeroed in on the main issue during the meeting.
requiring no initial payment
The car dealership offers zero down financing options.
time when something important is planned to start
The zero hour for the launch is 6 a.m.
complete lack of interest or concern
When he heard the news, his response was care factor zero.
reset to an initial state
The technician zeroed out the settings before starting the test.
having a temperature lower than 0°C, extremely cold
We had sub-zero weather all week.
make something become nothing
The new policy aims to reduce to zero the number of accidents.
credit card with no outstanding debt
She was relieved to see a zero balance on her card.
the value of nothing out of a hundred
The survey showed zero percent of participants liked the new policy.
relating to temperatures lower than zero on a measurement scale
The hikers were caught in below zero conditions overnight.
woman with a very low body mass index
The model was criticized for being size zero.
no other choice or possibility available
The team had a zero option for the project.
no tolerance for specific behavior or activity
The company has zero tolerance for harassment.
starting point for measurements or calculations
The experiment used the zero point as a baseline for data collection..
change from bad to good, improve fortunes greatly
He went from zero to hero after winning the championship!
reference mark on a scale showing that a measured amount is nothing
On the graph, profits fell below the zero line after the crisis.
Origin of zero
Arabic, ṣifr (empty)
Terms with zero included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
zero quantity
not any amount or quantity of something
absence
indicating a complete lack or zero quantity
numbers
the number zero when spoken or written
sequence to zero
reduce numbers sequentially towards zero
technology
time display or device that counts backward to zero before an event
timed events
begin the process of counting down numbers to zero
abr: Celsius
temperature scale where water freezes at zero
temperature
at or below zero degrees Celsius
mathematics
quantity greater than zero
mathematics
zero or nothing
finance money
start having less than zero money in an account
nothing
zero quantity or amount
zero in
focus or narrow down to something specific
sports
score of zero by a batsman in cricket
sports
zero score in sports like tennis
mathematics
of a number less than zero
mathematics
greater than zero
no value
zero quantity or nothing
math
equal to zero in value
mathematics
numeric character or zero
sports
score of zero in a game
arithmetic
positive or negative whole number including zero
sports
score of zero in sports
sports
score of zero to zero in a game
Examples of zero in a sentence
The display showed a zero after the calculation. The temperature dropped to zero overnight. He scored a zero on the test. The countdown started from zero. He reset the scale to zero. In the office, he was treated like a zero.
She felt like a zero among her successful friends. Zero plays a crucial role in algebraic equations. Zero is essential in defining the number line. The Zero flew swiftly over the Pacific. Pilots admired the Zero for its agility. The thermometer showed zero degrees at sunrise. We recorded zero incidents during the safety inspection period. The zero level is crucial for calibration. Zero hour is set for the operation. The zero pronoun is often used in Japanese. Linguists study zero morphemes in language. The director zeroed the camera on the actor's face. The hunter zeroed his rifle on the deer. He zeroed the scope for better accuracy. The hunter zeroed his sights before the hunt. The software update zeroed all previous bugs. They aimed to zero the debt within a year. The technician zeroed the balance before weighing the sample. Zero the telescope's finder before the observation.
View all translations of zero
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:zéro, initial, ...
- German:Null, nicht realisiert, ...
- Italian:zero, assente, ...
- Spanish:cero, inicial, ...
- Portuguese:zero, inexistente, ...
- Chinese:零, 零的, ...
- Japanese:ゼロ, ゼロの, ...
- Arabic:صِفر, صِفْرِيّ, ...
- Hebrew:אֶפֶס, אֶפְסִי, ...
- Russian:ноль, нулевой, ...
- Ukrainian:нуль, нульовий, ...
- Hindi:शून्य, शून्यीय, ...
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