Dictionary

grossness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɡɹəʊsnəs/ (UK)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English gross 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 English grossness From gross + -ness.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Lack of refinement in character, behaviour etc.; coarseness.
   • He […] began to descend to familiar questions, endeavouring to accommodate his discourse to the grossness of rustic understandings. The clowns soon found that he did not know wheat from rye, and began to despise him; one of the boys, by pretending to show him a bird's nest, decoyed him into a ditch; […] August 25, 1759, Samuel Johnson, The Idler No. 71
   • Now that he was doing so much else she could never have the grossness to apply for it to Sir Claude. 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:
2. (countable, slang, uncountable) The quality of being repulsive or disgusting.
3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Size.

Forms

Translations (1)

pdt Groffheit (lack of refinement in character, behaviour, etc.)