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to come to naught
01
to completely fail to achieve any success or fulfill one's expectation
Idiom
InformalWhat is the origin of the idiom "come to naught" and when to use it?
The idiom "come to naught" has its origins in Old English and Middle English, where "naught" means nothing or zero. The expression "come to naught" essentially means to result in failure or to end without achieving the desired outcome. It suggests that efforts or plans have been rendered useless or ineffective, and the intended goals have not been realized.
Example
The company's innovative product idea came to naught when they couldn't secure the necessary funding for its development.
Despite their hard work, the project came to naught due to unforeseen challenges.
The politician's well-crafted campaign ultimately came to naught as he lost the election by a wide margin.
After years of preparation, the athlete's dreams of winning the championship came to naught when he was injured.
The ambitious investment strategy came to naught when the stock market crashed.
