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
Noun
So, there’s going to be that bro-y ness and physicality. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2023 Like Nike shoes and New Balance shoes, the best Adidas shoes are nothing short of style, comfort, performance, and iconic-ness. Maverick Li, menshealth.com, 12 Apr. 2023 Part of his sound is a kind of warm overblown-ness. Ryan Reed, SPIN, 4 Apr. 2023 Loki met Lokis who were memes of Loki-ness. Darren Franich, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023 Watching Joel morph into a full human again in a post-apocalyptic world — if, indeed, that is what’s happening — is lovely, a testament not only to the value of grieving but also the schedule-less-ness of it. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2023 This was supposed to be the year of normal-ish-ness. Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2022 Diana’s obsession American symbols of privilege and their distinctly un-British embrace of casual-ness. Rachel Tashjian, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Nov. 2022 The original Larry’s Ice Cream has been selling its sweet chill-ness in Coral Springs since 1986. Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 5 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near ness

Cite this Entry

“Ness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ness. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

-ness

noun suffix
nəs
: state : condition : quality
goodness
Etymology

Noun suffix

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

More from Merriam-Webster on ness

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!