ness

¹ American  

[nes] / nɛs /

noun

1. a headland; promontory; cape.

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-ness ² American  

1. a native English suffix attached to adjectives and participles, forming abstract nouns denoting quality and state (and often, by extension, something exemplifying a quality or state).

   darkness; goodness; kindness; obligingness; preparedness.

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ness ¹ British  

/ nɛs /

noun

1. 1. archaic a promontory or headland

   2. ( capital as part of a name )

      Orford Ness

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-ness ² British  

suffix

1. indicating state, condition, or quality, or an instance of one of these

   greatness

   selfishness

   meaninglessness

   a kindness

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Ness ³ British  

/ nɛs /

noun

1. a lake in NW Scotland, in the Great Glen: said to be inhabited by an aquatic monster. Length: 36 km (22.5 miles). Depth: 229 m (754 ft)

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Usage

What does -ness mean? The suffix -ness is used to denote a quality or state of being. It is often used in a variety of everyday terms.The form -ness comes from Old English -nes. Similar suffixes in Latin include -itās and -tūdō, both of which indicate a state of being and are the sources of the English suffixes -ity and -tude. Check out our entries for both suffixes to learn how frequently they appear.

Etymology

Origin of ness¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English -nes(s) (in placenames), in part continuing Old English næs, in part from Old Norse nes; akin to nose

Origin of -ness²

Middle English, Old English -nes, -nis, cognate with German -nis, Gothic -(n)assus; suffix originally (unattested) -assus; -n- by false division of words with adjective and past participle stems ending in -n-; compare Old English efnes (later efen-nys ) evenness ( def. )

Example Sentences

This still- ness doth dart with snake venom on itwell, / I’d have laughed.”

From Scientific American • Jun. 19, 2013

A slider on the device adjusts the amount of "3-D ness," from maximum to 2-D.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 16, 2010

Clearly, it's not just grimy pelmets and overcooked breakfasts up for tut-tutting judgment but the lifestyles of the participants; there's a very British under-current of mean-spirited– ness to this show.

From The Guardian • Apr. 28, 2010

Yet there are hints of the conscious ness of decades to come: the widow realizes she wants to learn to fend for herself.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Hhee iss beehindd thee ddarrk- ness, sso thatt eevenn wee cannott seee hhimm.”

From "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle