goodness
gb/ɡˈʊdnəs/ us/ɡˈʊdnəs/
A2
Engels
~ 6300
Betekenissen
0 betekenissen
interjection
informal
A2
action
1
Exclamation of surprise or emotion
Used as a short, polite shout when you feel surprise, shock, or strong emotion.
Gebruikspatroon:
Goodness, [clause]
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners sometimes write *“Oh my Godness”* or confuse “goodness” with “God.” "Goodness" here is a polite, softer word used instead of saying "God," and it is not followed by "-ness" again. Also, avoid adding other words between “my” and “goodness” (say “my goodness,” not *“my very goodness”*).
Synoniemen
gosh (A similarly mild exclamation of surprise; sounds slightly more neutral and modern in some varieties of English.)
Antoniemen
oh no (An exclamation that instead shows shock, fear, or disappointment, not neutral or pleasant surprise.)
Woordcombinaties
Goodness!
|Goodness me!
|My goodness!
|Oh my goodness
|Goodness gracious
Thema's
daily life
|emotions
|communication
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
- “Goodness, what happened to your car?”
- Goodness, that was a close call!
- Goodness! I didn’t expect to see you here.
- My goodness, look how much he’s grown!
- Goodness, that movie was longer than I thought.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- Goodness, this bag is heavy!
- Goodness, it is cold today.
- My goodness, you are so tall now.
- Goodness, I forgot my keys at home.
- Oh my goodness, the baby is so cute.
Zelfstandig naamwoord
B2
property
2
Moral goodness or virtue
The quality of being kind, honest, and wanting to do the right thing.
Gebruikspatroon:
the goodness of [someone]
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners sometimes confuse “goodness” (an abstract quality) with “good thing(s).” Say “I believe in the goodness of people,” not *“I believe in the good things of people.”* Also, “goodness” is almost always uncountable; avoid *“goodnesses.”*
Synoniemen
virtue (Sounds more formal and focuses on moral standards and principles, not just kindness or warmth.)
Antoniemen
wickedness (Stresses active badness and cruelty, the opposite of moral goodness.)
Woordcombinaties
basic human goodness
|faith in human goodness
|innate goodness
|moral goodness
|show great goodness
|out of the goodness of [someone]’s heart
Thema's
emotions
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
- She never lost her faith in the basic goodness of people.
- His quiet goodness impressed everyone who worked with him.
- Their generosity showed a real goodness of heart.
- The novel explores the conflict between human goodness and selfish desire.
- We were moved by the goodness he showed to complete strangers.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- She believes in the goodness of people.
- His goodness to his neighbors is famous.
- They helped us from simple goodness, not for money.
- The teacher’s goodness made the students feel safe.
- Her smile shows the goodness in her heart.
Zelfstandig naamwoord
B1
entity
3
Healthy part of food
The good, healthy parts in food that help your body, such as vitamins and minerals.
Gebruikspatroon:
the goodness of [food/drink]
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners may think “goodness” here means simply “good taste.” It actually refers to health benefits, not just flavor. For taste, say “good flavor” or “good taste,” not “goodness.”
Synoniemen
nutrients (More technical and specific, referring to substances like vitamins, minerals, and protein, not to a general positive quality.)
Antoniemen
junk (Informal word for food that is low in healthy qualities and high in sugar, fat, etc., the opposite of “goodness” in food.)
Woordcombinaties
full of goodness
|packed with goodness
|natural goodness
|all the goodness of fresh [food]
|keep the goodness in
|lose its goodness
Thema's
food
|health
|food_drink
Voorbeelden
- This juice is full of the natural goodness of fresh fruit.
- Cooking vegetables too long can destroy much of their goodness.
- The company claims its cereal keeps all the goodness of whole grains.
- Homemade soup lets you keep in all the goodness of the ingredients.
- They add extra vitamins to boost the goodness of the drink.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- This bread has a lot of natural goodness.
- Fresh fruit has more goodness than candy.
- Boil the vegetables lightly to keep the goodness in them.
- Milk gives children the goodness they need to grow.
- I drink this smoothie for its health and goodness.
Zelfstandig naamwoord
B2
entity
4
Level or degree of quality
How good or useful something is, especially when you compare it with other things.
Gebruikspatroon:
the goodness of [something]
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners often use only “good” where a more abstract noun is needed. In formal or careful writing, you might say “the goodness of the plan,” not *“the good of the plan”* when you mean its quality rather than its benefit to people.
Synoniemen
quality (A more general word for how good something is; it does not suggest careful comparison or judgment in the same abstract way as “goodness.”)
Antoniemen
badness (Direct opposite of “goodness” as a level of how bad or poor something is.)
Woordcombinaties
the goodness of [an idea]
|relative goodness
|overall goodness
|goodness of fit
|measure the goodness
Thema's
abstract
|evaluation
|core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
- We compared the relative goodness of the two proposals before deciding.
- The committee questioned the goodness of the plan.
- Scientists tested the goodness of fit between the model and the data.
- She doubted the overall goodness of the decision.
- The goodness of their solution became clear over time.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- They talked about the goodness of the new plan.
- We must think about the goodness of this choice.
- The boss was not sure about the goodness of the idea.
- People disagreed about the goodness of his actions.
- In the end, they saw the goodness of their decision.
Grammatica
Lemmavorm
goodness
IPA
GB/ɡˈʊdnəs/
US/ɡˈʊdnəs/
Lettergrepen en klemtoon
good - ness (2 lettergrepen)
Stress on 1st syllable (good)
Woordvormen
Noun
- Base: goodness
- Plural: goodness
Woordfamilie
Uitdrukkingen
goodness gracious
1/ɡˈʊdnəs ɡɹˈeɪʃəs/
idiom
informal
Polite or old-fashioned surprise
An old-fashioned polite expression used when you are surprised or shocked.
Voorbeelden
- Goodness gracious, that car is fast!
- Goodness gracious, I had no idea tickets were so expensive.
goodness knows
1/ɡˈʊdnəs nˈoʊz/
idiom
informal
Nobody knows / it’s unclear
Said to mean that you do not know something, and maybe nobody knows it.
Voorbeelden
- Goodness knows what he’s doing out there in the dark.
- Goodness knows how long this meeting will last.
goodness me
1/ɡˈʊdnəs mˈi/
idiom
informal
Surprised exclamation (BrE)
A British expression used to show surprise or strong feeling, similar to “oh my goodness.”
Voorbeelden
- Goodness me, I didn’t recognize you with that haircut!
- Goodness me, I’ve never seen snow like this before.
oh my goodness
1/ˈoʊ mˈaɪ ɡˈʊdnəs/
idiom
informal
Polite surprised exclamation
Said when you feel strong surprise, shock, or emotion, instead of saying “oh my God.”
Voorbeelden
- Oh my goodness, I completely forgot your birthday!
- Oh my goodness, that dog is huge.
- Oh my goodness, are you okay after the fall?
out of the goodness of [someone]'s heart
1/ˈaʊt əv ðə ɡˈʊdnəs əv sˈoʊmˈoʊnz hˈɑɹt/
idiom
From pure kindness, not for gain
If someone does something out of the goodness of their heart, they do it only because they are kind, not to get money or another benefit.
Voorbeelden
- She wasn’t paid; she helped purely out of the goodness of her heart.
- He didn’t lend you the money out of the goodness of his heart—he expects something in return.
thank goodness
1/θˈæŋk ɡˈʊdnəs/
idiom
informal
Exclamation of relief or gratitude
Said when you are happy and feel safe because something bad did not happen or is finished.
Voorbeelden
- Thank goodness you arrived home safely.
- Thank goodness the rain stopped before the game.
- We were lost for hours—thank goodness we finally found the road.
for goodness' sake
1/fɚ ɡˈʊdnəs sˈeɪk/
idiom
informal
Mild annoyance or emphasis
Said to show that you are annoyed, upset, or surprised, in a polite or soft way.
Voorbeelden
- For goodness' sake, turn the music down!
- Oh, for goodness' sake, I just cleaned this room.
- For goodness' sake, can you hurry up?
for goodness' sake
2/fɚ ɡˈʊdnəs sˈeɪk/
idiom
informal
expression of annoyance or emphasis
Used to show you are annoyed, surprised, or want to make your point stronger, without using rude words.
Voorbeelden
- For goodness' sake, close the door!
- Oh, for goodness' sake, stop arguing.
my goodness
1/mˈaɪ ɡˈʊdnəs/
idiom
mild surprise or concern
A polite way to show surprise or worry.
Voorbeelden
- My goodness, you’ve grown so much!
- My goodness, what happened here?
my goodness
2/mˈaɪ ɡˈʊdnəs/
idiom
informal
General polite exclamation
Said when you feel strong surprise, concern, or another strong feeling, instead of saying “my God.”
Voorbeelden
- My goodness, what a mess!
- My goodness, you’ve grown since I last saw you.
- My goodness, that exam was difficult.