come to nothing . come to nothing also {formal} come to naught {v. phr.} To end in failure; fail; be in vain. The dog's attempts to climb the tree after the cat came to nothing. Categories: add yours {formal} {v. phr.} Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms by A. Makkai, M.T. Boatner, J.E. Gates © 2025 To section: C Subscribe to: American IdiomsIdioms feedEnglish languageHome page and general feed Discuss