goodness

nouninterjectioncommon in dialogue

//ˈɡʊdnəs//
//ˈɡʊ(d)nɪs//

The state or characteristic of being good.

noun

1
The state or characteristic of being good.
There is ſome ſoule of goodneſſe in things euill, / VVould men obſeruingly 'diſtill it out.
Rich, raisiny, smoky, coffee goodness: that is the flavor of urfa biber.
2
The good, nutritional, healthy part or content of something.
3
God.
Thank goodness that the war is over!
4
The moral qualities which constitute Christian excellence; moral virtue.
But the fruit of the ſpirit is loue, ioy, peace, long ſuffering, gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith, / Meekeneſſe, temperance: againſt ſuch there is no law.

Etymology

From Middle English goodnesse, godnesse, from Old English gōdnes (“goodness; virtue; kindness”), from Proto-West Germanic *gōdnassī (“goodness”), equivalent to good + -ness. Cognate with Scots guidness (“goodness”), West Frisian goedens (“goodness”), Old High German guotnessī (“goodness”), Middle High German guotnisse (“goodness”), Russian годность (godnostʹ, “suitability, fitness”).

interjection

1
Variant of goodness me or various similar exclamations such as goodness graciousClipping of goodness me or various similar exclamations such as goodness gracious.

Forms

plural: goodnesses

goodbye · Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when…goodman · A familiar appellation of civility for a man.Goodman · A surname.

goodness · The state or characteristic of being good.

goodnight · An instance of saying “good night”; a nighttime farewell.Goodnight · A surname.goods · That which is produced, then traded, bought or sold, then…

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.