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goodness

n. · interj.
US //ˈɡʊdnəs// UK //ɡˈʊdnəs// good·ness
  1. 1 moral quality (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the quality of being kind, helpful, and honest.

    the state or quality of being morally good or virtuous.

    Example

    She believed in the basic goodness of people despite the difficult news.

    Example

    The protagonist's inherent goodness serves as a foil to the cynical world in which the novel is set.

    Usage

    Uncountable in this sense.
  2. 2 nutritional value (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Cooking

    the healthy parts of food that are good for your body.

    the beneficial or nutritional components of a substance, particularly food.

    Example

    Steaming vegetables helps to keep all the goodness inside them.

    Example

    The chef argued that over-processing the grains stripped away much of the natural goodness required for a balanced diet.

    Usage

    Often uncountable, though sometimes used with 'all the'.
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  1. 3 showing surprise (interj.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal

    a word you say when you are surprised, shocked, or annoyed.

    a euphemistic substitute for 'God' used in exclamations to express surprise, alarm, or emphasis.

    Example

    My goodness, I didn't expect to see you here today.

    Example

    Goodness knows how they managed to finish the project on such a restrictive budget.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a 'polite' way to express surprise without using religious names, though it can sound slightly old-fashioned to younger speakers.
Origin

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”).

Idioms4 entries

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