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  • foulness
    foulness
    noun
    the state or quality of being foul.
  • Foulness
    Foulness
    noun
    a flat marshy island in SE England, in Essex north of the Thames estuary
Synonyms

foulness

American  
[foul-nis] / ˈfaʊl nɪs /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being foul.

    The foulness of the accusation incensed us all.

  2. something that is foul; foul matter; filth.

  3. wickedness.


foulness 1 British  
/ ˈfaʊlnɪs /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being foul

  2. obscenity; vulgarity

  3. viciousness or inhumanity

  4. foul matter; filth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Foulness 2 British  
/ faʊlˈnɛs /

noun

  1. a flat marshy island in SE England, in Essex north of the Thames estuary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of foulness

before 1150; Middle English; Old English fūlnes. See foul, -ness

Vocabulary lists containing foulness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When he finally arrived, he idled in the driveway for a moment, hoping his foulness might dissipate before he had to encounter his young family.

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2022

The foulness of these places, for the animals that live in them and the people who live near them, truly defies words.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2022

You don’t need to see inside sealed legal filings to understand that the foulness wafted down from the top.

From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2020

If a player throws their arms skyward upon contact like they’ve just crawled through 500 yards of sewage-smelling foulness to escape the Shawshank penitentiary, then yes, they’re probably flopping.

From The Guardian • Oct. 30, 2019

I do not think words can do justice to a description of the foulness and filthiness of this bedding.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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