noble
gb/nˈoʊbəl/ us/nˈoʊbəl/
B2
English
~ 5300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
morally good and generous
Having very good moral character and doing what is right, kind, and unselfish.
Usage pattern:
a noble [action]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "noble" to mean just "good" in any situation. In English, "noble" is stronger and is used for especially high, generous, or morally important actions or character, not for small everyday things (e.g., "Thanks, that was very noble of you to save my life" sounds natural; "That was noble of you to pass the salt" sounds humorous or exaggerated).
Synonyms
honorable (Often focuses on honesty and following moral rules; "noble" adds a sense of greatness or self‑sacrifice.)
|
virtuous (Stresses being morally pure; "noble" suggests dignity and often public, impressive goodness.)
Antonyms
selfish (Describes someone who only cares about themselves, the opposite of the generous, self‑sacrificing idea in "noble".)
|
dishonorable (Stresses shameful or immoral behavior, opposed to the high moral standards of "noble".)
Collocations
noble cause
|noble gesture
|noble sacrifice
|noble character
|noble ideals
Themes
character
|ethics
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She made the noble decision to donate most of her winnings to charity.
- It was a noble gesture to forgive him after everything that happened.
- He devoted his life to the noble goal of providing education for all children.
- They fought for the noble ideal of justice and equality.
Learner examples
- She had a noble heart and always helped poor people.
- Donating blood is a noble thing to do.
- He chose a noble life and worked for peace.
- They are working for a noble goal: clean water for every village.
adjective
B2
property
2
of high social rank
Belonging to a very high social class, usually with a title like lord, duke, count, etc., that is passed from parents to children.
Usage pattern:
a noble [family]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "noble" with "royal." "Royal" refers specifically to kings, queens, princes, and princesses. "Noble" is wider and includes titled people below the royal family, such as dukes, counts, and barons.
Synonyms
aristocratic (Very close in meaning, but more technical; often used in historical or sociological contexts.)
Antonyms
common (In this context, refers to people without noble status, from the ordinary population.)
|
low-born (Describes someone from a low social class, opposite of "noble birth".)
Collocations
noble family
|noble birth
|noble blood
|noble title
|noble house
Themes
society
|history
|politics
|relationships
Examples
- He came from a noble family that had served the king for centuries.
- Several members of the noble class lost their titles after the revolution.
- She married into a noble house with a long and complicated history.
- Despite his noble birth, he preferred to live a simple life in the countryside.
Learner examples
- His wife is from a noble family with a long history.
- Many noble families lived in that old castle.
- She is proud of her noble birth.
- In the past, noble people had many special rights.
adjective
C1
property
3
grand and dignified in appearance
Looking very grand and serious in a way that makes people feel respect.
Usage pattern:
a noble [appearance]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense with everyday things (e.g., "a noble car" or "a noble T‑shirt" sounds strange). It is usually used for people, animals like horses, buildings, landscapes, or faces that seem especially grand or dignified.
Synonyms
majestic (Stresses greatness and beauty; "noble" adds a sense of dignity and calm strength.)
|
stately (Suggests slow, formal dignity; "noble" can be slightly broader and include inner character as well as appearance.)
Antonyms
ordinary (Lacking the special dignity or impressiveness suggested by "noble".)
|
unimpressive (Directly contrasts with the grand, striking look of something described as "noble".)
Collocations
noble bearing
|noble profile
|noble building
|noble landscape
|noble features
Themes
appearance
|art
|buildings
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The horse stood on the hill, its noble profile clear against the evening sky.
- Tall columns and a wide staircase gave the courthouse a noble appearance.
- Her face had a noble beauty that was calm rather than flashy.
- The painter tried to capture the mountain's noble shape rising above the valley.
Learner examples
- The church has a noble tower that you can see from far away.
- The old trees gave the garden a noble look.
- He walked with a noble bearing, slow and calm.
- The statue has a noble face and strong eyes.
Noun
B2
entity
4
person from the nobility
A man or woman from a very high social class, usually with a special title that comes from their family.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a noble
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "a nobleman" or "a noblewoman" when they only need "a noble." All three are correct; "nobleman/noblewoman" make gender clear, while "noble" is gender‑neutral.
Synonyms
aristocrat (Very close in meaning; often sounds slightly more formal or technical than "noble.")
Antonyms
commoner (A person without noble rank, from the ordinary population; the usual contrast with "noble" as a noun.)
Collocations
a noble
|the nobles
|local nobles
|landed nobles
|lesser nobles
Themes
society
|history
|politics
|relationships
Examples
- The nobles gathered in the great hall to advise the king.
- As a young noble, he was educated in politics and war.
- Many nobles lost their land when the monarchy was abolished.
- The peasants complained that the nobles did not pay enough taxes.
Learner examples
- The king asked the nobles for money.
- A young noble fell in love with a farmer's daughter.
- In that country, only nobles could own large areas of land.
- The nobles wore rich clothes and expensive jewelry.
adjective
technical
C1
property
5
chemically unreactive (technical)
In chemistry, not reacting easily with other substances, especially used about some gases and metals.
Usage pattern:
noble [substance]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this technical sense outside chemistry, saying things like "a noble person is chemically noble." In general English, the moral and social senses are separate from this scientific one.
Synonyms
inert (A general technical word for substances that do not react; "noble" is mostly used in fixed terms like "noble gases" and "noble metals.")
Antonyms
reactive (Describes substances that easily take part in chemical reactions, the opposite of "noble" in this technical sense.)
Collocations
noble gas
|noble gases
|noble metal
|noble metals
|noble elements
Themes
science
|chemistry
|technology
Examples
- Helium is a noble gas and does not easily form compounds.
- Gold is considered a noble metal because it resists corrosion.
- The outer electron shell of noble gases is full, which explains their stability.
- Noble metals are often used in electronics due to their resistance to oxidation.
Learner examples
- Helium and neon are noble gases.
- Gold is a noble metal that does not rust.
- Noble gases do not react with many other elements.
- Chemistry students learn about noble metals and noble gases.
adjective
C1
property
6
of very high quality
Very fine or excellent in quality, often used about things like wine, materials, or art.
Usage pattern:
a noble [thing]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes assume this sense is common in everyday speech. In modern English it is less frequent and somewhat formal; native speakers more often say "high‑quality," "fine," or "excellent" instead of "noble" in many contexts.
Synonyms
excellent (General word for very good; "noble" sounds more formal and often suggests purity or refinement.)
|
refined (Suggests careful improvement and purity; overlaps when talking about tastes or materials.)
Antonyms
inferior (Lower in quality, the opposite of the high standard implied by "noble".)
|
coarse (Rough or unrefined, opposed to the fine and pure sense of "noble" in this usage.)
Collocations
noble wine
|noble variety
|noble materials
|noble style
Themes
quality
|art
|food
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The restaurant is famous for its noble wines from the region.
- The architect preferred noble materials like stone and wood over plastic.
- A noble simplicity characterized the design of the memorial.
- Only a few noble grape varieties are used for this traditional dessert wine.
Learner examples
- They served a noble wine with the main dish.
- The building uses noble materials such as marble and oak.
- The room has a noble style, simple but very fine.
- This cheese is made from a noble variety of milk.
Noun
archaic
C2
entity
7
old English gold coin
An old English gold coin that people used many centuries ago.
Usage pattern:
a [number] noble(s)
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is still used in modern money talk. It is only used in historical or numismatic contexts now.
Synonyms
gold coin (A more general term; "noble" is a specific historical type of English gold coin.)
Antonyms
penny (A common, low‑value coin in historical England, contrasting with the high‑value gold noble.)
Collocations
a noble
|gold nobles
|half noble
|double noble
Themes
history
|money
|finance
|time
Examples
- The merchant paid three nobles for the shipment of cloth.
- A single noble was worth a large sum to a farm worker in the 14th century.
- Archaeologists discovered a hoard of gold nobles buried near the old port.
- The contract specified a fine of one noble for every day of delay.
Learner examples
- The king gave him a noble as a reward.
- A noble was a lot of money in the Middle Ages.
- They found old nobles and other coins in the field.
- In history books, you sometimes see prices written in nobles and shillings.
Grammar
Dictionary form
noble
IPA
GB/nˈoʊbəl/
US/nˈoʊbəl/
Syllables & stress
noble (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (noble)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: noble
- Comparative: nobler
- Superlative: noblest
Noun
- Base: noble
- Plural: nobles
Word family
Expressions
a noble gesture
1/ə nˈoʊbəl d͡ʒˈɛst͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
kind and generous action
An action that shows great kindness, generosity, or moral goodness.
Examples
- Paying for the stranger's surgery was a noble gesture.
- It was a noble gesture to apologize publicly for the mistake.
- Her decision to share the credit was a noble gesture.
noble blood
1/nˈoʊbəl blˈʌd/
fixed phrase
high-class family ancestry
Family origins in a very high social class, usually with titles passed down through generations.
Examples
- They believed that noble blood made a person more fit to rule.
- He had noble blood but very little money.
- Stories often say that noble blood cannot be hidden forever.
noble cause
1/nˈoʊbəl kˈɔz/
fixed phrase
morally good goal or cause
A goal or reason that is very good and unselfish, often to help other people or improve the world.
Examples
- They are raising money for the noble cause of building a new hospital.
- He left his job to work full-time for a noble cause.
- People are more willing to donate when they believe it is a noble cause.
noble family
1/nˈoʊbəl fˈæmɪli/
fixed phrase
family of high social rank
A family that belongs to a very high social class and often has titles and large estates.
Examples
- Several noble families once controlled the region.
- She married into a noble family with a long history.
- During the revolution, many noble families fled the country.
noble gas
1/nˈoʊbəl ɡˈæs/
fixed phrase
technical
chemically unreactive gas element
A type of gas element, like helium or neon, that almost never reacts with other substances.
Examples
- Helium is a noble gas used to fill balloons.
- The outer electron shells of noble gases are full, which makes them very stable.
- Neon, a noble gas, is commonly used in bright signs.
noble house
1/nˈoʊbəl hˈaʊs/
fixed phrase
literary
powerful noble family line
A powerful noble family, often known by a famous family name and its large home or land.
Examples
- The noble house of Argenon had ruled the valley for centuries.
- Rival noble houses fought for control of the throne.
- Legends tell of a noble house that vanished overnight.
noble metal
1/nˈoʊbəl mˈɛtəl/
fixed phrase
technical
metal that resists corrosion
A metal, like gold or platinum, that does not easily rust or react with other substances.
Examples
- Gold and platinum are examples of noble metals.
- Because noble metals resist corrosion, they are used in electronics and jewelry.
- The experiment compared how quickly different noble metals oxidized.
noble savage
1/nˈoʊbəl sˈævɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
literary
idealized natural person stereotype
An old idea that people living close to nature, outside modern society, are pure and good, which today is often seen as a stereotype or offensive.
Examples
- The writer's image of the islanders as noble savages is now considered naive and racist.
- The "noble savage" was a powerful idea in eighteenth-century European thought.
- Modern critics reject the noble savage stereotype as oversimplified.
of noble birth
1/əv nˈoʊbəl bˈɚθ/
fixed phrase
born into high social class
Born into a very high social class, usually with a family that has titles and power.
Examples
- Although he was of noble birth, he chose a military career.
- Being of noble birth gave her access to the royal court.
- Many officers in the old army were of noble birth.
noble steed
1/nˈoʊbəl stˈid/
fixed phrase
literary
heroic rider’s horse (often humorous)
A horse described in a grand or humorous way, often as the horse of a brave or important person.
Examples
- The knight climbed onto his noble steed and rode into battle.
- The hero climbed onto his noble steed and rode into battle.
- He joked about riding his noble steed, meaning his old bicycle.
- Children laughed as their father bowed and introduced the family bicycle as his noble steed.
- Children love stories of heroes on noble steeds.