ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ness

n.
US //ˈnɛs// UK //nˈɛs// ness
  1. 1 a headland (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    a piece of land that sticks out into the sea or a lake.

    a promontory, cape, or headland; the term is frequently encountered as a suffix in coastal place names of Scandinavian or Old English origin.

    Example

    The old lighthouse stood on a rocky ness overlooking the cold northern sea.

    Example

    The jagged ness extended nearly a mile into the Atlantic, creating a natural barrier that sheltered the small fishing village from the worst of the winter gales.

    Usage

    Often appears as a suffix in place names like Dungeness or Skegness.

    Teacher's tip

    This word is very rare in modern conversation; students will mostly see it in geography books or as part of British and Scandinavian town names.
Origin

From Middle English nesse (in placenames), from Old English næs, from Proto-Germanic *nasją (“promontory; ness”); cognate with Middle Low German nes, Icelandic nes, Swedish näs, Danish næs, Old Norse nes. Related to nose.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 20, 2026