Dictionary

-ness en · X

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• [nɘs] (New-Zealand)
• /nəs/ (US)
• /nɛs/ (dialectal, obsolete)
• /nɛs/ (US)
• /nəs/ (UK)
• /nɪs/ (US)
• /nəs/ (New-Zealand)
• /nɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation, dated)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness From Middle English -nes, -nesse, from Old English -nis, -nes, from Proto-West Germanic *-nassī, from Proto-Germanic *-inassuz. This suffix was formed already in Proto-Germanic by false division of the final consonant *-n- of the preceding stem + the actual suffix *-assuz. The latter was in turn derived from an earlier *-at(s)-tuz, from the verbal suffix *-at-janą + the noun suffix *-þuz. Compare German -nis and Dutch -nis of the same origin.

Meanings

1. (countable, morpheme, uncountable) Appended in general, often informally, stylistically, or jocularly, for reification of an attribute.
   • The Czech people and countryside of Mr Lukas' camera are universal. In the aged peasants there is none of that wrinkled, ham, old gafferishness to which we have become accustomed by clever photography, but there is the feel of the earth by which these people have lived... 1948 Helen A. Archdale, Margaret Haig Thomas Mackworth: Time & Tide - Volume 29 - Page 407
   • The adrenocortical carcinoma symptoms ... are moonface, abdominousness, high blood pressure, hirsutes, pink striae, plethora, decaleification, irrespective of sex... 1942 Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, N.Y.) Journal of the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, Volume 8, Part 2 p.515
   • 1865 Lewis Carrol: Alice in Wonderland; CHAPTER VII: A Mad Tea-Party. You know you say things are "much of a muchness.." — did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness!
2. (countable, morpheme, uncountable) Appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being (the adjective)", "the quality of being (the adjective)", or "the measure of being (the adjective)".
   • kind + -ness → kindness
   • eerie + -ness → eeriness
   • one + -ness → oneness
   • calm + -ness → calmness
3. (countable, morpheme, uncountable) Appended to words of other parts of speech to form nouns (often nonce words or terms in philosophy) meaning the state/quality/measure of the idea represented by these words.
   • tree + -ness → treeness
   • thug + -ness → thugness
   • that + -ness → thatness

Forms

Synonyms

-ity · -ibility · -itude · -th · -osity · -ability · -ism · -ship · -dom · -hood · -icity

Translations (114)

rom -ipen (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · it -ità (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · vi nỗi (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fi -us (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · cy -rwydd (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · th ภาพ (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ro -itate (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ota ـلق (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ja -さ (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fr -esse (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · tr -lık (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ru -ость (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · hu -ség (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · nl -heid (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ru -щи́на (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ar ـِيَّة (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · nl -schap (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · is -d (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ru -ство (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · sv -skap (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · mk -ство (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · is -t (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · zza -ey (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fy -heid (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ia -tate (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · uk -ість (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · id ke- -an (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · de -keit (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · mk -ност (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ka -ება (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · is -ð (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ga -acht (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · pt -idão (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · yi ־קייט (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · el -ότητα (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · nb -het (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ko ㅁ (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fi -yys (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fr -ité (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · cs -ost (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · km សេចក្តី (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · kl -ssuseq (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · mr -पणा (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · zza -iye (diq) (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ia -ia (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · te -తనము (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · nn -leik (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ta -மை (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · km ភាព (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · yi ־הייט (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · pl -ość (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fo -heit (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ms ke- -an (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ka სი- -ე (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ia -essa (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · my -ခြင်း (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · it -ezza (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fy -ens (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · sk -osť (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ka -ობა (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fo -semi (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · da -hed (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · eo -eco (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · th ความ (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · tr -lik (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · gv -aght (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · sw u- (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ang -nes (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · non -naðr (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · tr -lük (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · tl ka- -an (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · no -skap (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · de -nis (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · hy -ություն (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · sv -het (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · uk -ство (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · vi sự (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · non -skapr (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · hi -ई (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · he ־וּת (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · az -lik (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · mk -ост (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · es -idad (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fi -ys (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · sa -ईय (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · la -tās (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · nl -nis (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · osx -nessi (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fi -uus (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · de -heit (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · gl -idade (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · fy -skip (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · zza -in (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ia -ismo (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · cmn -性 (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · hu -ság (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · pt -ez (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ja -性 (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · vi niềm (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · nn -heit (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · my -မှု (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ia -itate (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · yi ־ניש (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · io -eso (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ro -ătate (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · pl -stwo (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ia -itude (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ru -ность (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ota ـلك (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · ro -tate (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · pt -eza (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · tr -luk (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · da -skab (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...") · pt -idade (appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being...", "the quality of being...", or "the measure of being...")