ness

1 of 2

noun

-ness

2 of 2

noun suffix

: state : condition : quality : degree
goodness

Examples of ness in a Sentence

Noun from atop the ness, there was a beautiful view of the coastline as it stretched for miles into the distance the little skiff rounded the tip of the ness
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
There’s a tenderness onstage and a grounded-ness. Alan Light, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 Honestly, just the gung ho-ness of everybody involved. Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 Kimball then walks us through a different way to roast the chicken for optimal moisture, flavor, and in the case of our poultry subjects, done-ness. Kristin L. Wolfe, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025 There were doctors from Pittsburgh, contractors from Nova Scotia, families and couples from Argentina, Chile and other parts of Mexico, despite the very American-ness of the place. Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ness

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English nasse, from Old English næss; akin to Old English nasu nose — more at nose

Noun suffix

Middle English -nes, from Old English; akin to Old High German -nissa -ness

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ness was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ness. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

-ness

noun suffix
nəs
: state : condition : quality
goodness
Etymology

Noun suffix

Old English -nes (suffix) "state, condition, quality"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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