Contents
This reference will explore what abstract nouns are, show some examples of abstract nouns, and compare them to their grammatical opposite – concrete nouns. It will cover different types of abstract nouns like qualities, states, emotions, and ideas. You’ll also find lists of abstract nouns, as well as examples.
Abstract Nouns
What Is an Abstract Noun?
An abstract noun refers to a concept or idea. These nouns illustrate things that cannot be touched, tasted, smelled, seen, heard, or otherwise felt through the physical senses. Examples include emotions, ideas, and states of being. You recognize abstract nouns as words like “freedom,” “happiness,” or “courage”.
Abstract Noun vs. Concrete Noun
Abstract nouns refer to feelings and ideas, as well as events that are conceptual and unspecific, like a “holiday” or a “birthday.”
Concrete nouns are nouns for things you can touch or sense. They refer to objects in the physical world and do not refer to ideas or emotions.
| Abstract Nouns | Concrete Nouns |
|---|---|
| Freedom | Chair |
| Happiness | Apple |
| Justice | Dog |
| Love | Book |
| Knowledge | Car |
Abstract nouns often have suffixes such as -ism, -acy, -ance, -ence, -age, -ability, -ness, -ment, -ship, -ity, or -ion. Words like “capitalism” or “democracy” are abstract nouns.
Abstract Nouns vs. Concrete Nouns Examples
Abstract nouns refer to things that cannot be sensed physically. Concrete nouns reference things in the physical world.
- Sorrow vs. Tears — “Sorrow” is an abstract noun for sadness, while “tears” are a concrete noun for something that can be sensed.
- Love vs. Kiss — “Love” refers to a feeling, while a “kiss” is something you can feel through touch.
- Strength vs. Muscle — “Strength” refers to power, whereas “muscle” is a physical tissue you can see and touch.
- Success vs. Money — “Success” means achievement, while “money” refers to physical objects like dollar bills and coins.
- Happiness vs. Smile — “Happiness” is a state of joy, while a “smile” is a facial expression that can be seen.
- Birthday vs. Birthday Cake — A “birthday” refers to the day someone was born, while a “cake” is a tangible thing you can see, touch, and taste.
Types of Abstract Nouns
Qualities
Abstract nouns that represent qualities refer to characteristics or attributes of a person, place, or thing. These qualities are not physical and cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples include:
- bravery
- honesty
- intelligence
- kindness
States
Abstract nouns that represent states refer to conditions or situations that a person, place, or thing can be in. These states are not physical and cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples include:
- chaos
- peace
- freedom
- tranquility
Emotions and Feelings
Abstract nouns that represent emotions and feelings refer to the internal experiences of a person. These emotions and feelings are not physical and cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples include:
- love
- happiness
- anger
- sadness
Experiences
Abstract nouns that represent experiences refer to events or circumstances that a person has gone through. These experiences are not physical and cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples include:
- adventure
- success
- failure
- memory
Personality Attributes
Abstract nouns that represent personality attributes refer to the characteristics that define a person’s personality. These attributes are not physical and cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples include:
- charisma
- humor
- optimism
- pessimism
Ideas and Concepts
Abstract nouns that represent ideas and concepts refer to thoughts or notions that a person has. These ideas and concepts are not physical and cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples include:
- democracy
- justice
- beauty
- truth
Movements and Events
Abstract nouns can also refer to movements and events that are intangible and cannot be directly perceived. These nouns represent concepts that are essential in describing the world around us. Examples related to movements include:
- revolution
- migration
- evolution
- progress
- development
Abstract nouns related to events include:
- celebration
- ceremony
- conflict
- tragedy
- victory
Abstract Nouns Suffixes and Examples
Abstract nouns are words that refer to intangible concepts, ideas, or emotions. They are often formed by adding certain suffixes to a base word. Here are some common suffixes used to form abstract nouns:
- -ness: This suffix refers to a state or quality of being. Examples include happiness, kindness, darkness, greatness, and stillness.
- -ity: This suffix refers to a state or quality of being, similar to -ness. Examples include creativity, curiosity, prosperity, sincerity, and tranquility.
- -ism: This suffix refers to a belief or ideology. Examples include capitalism, socialism, communism, realism, and idealism.
- -tion: This suffix refers to an action or process. Examples include communication, education, organization, determination, and recognition.
- -ment: This suffix refers to an action or process, similar to -tion. Examples include development, achievement, improvement, fulfillment, and contentment.
- -hood: This suffix refers to a state or condition of being. Examples include childhood, adulthood, brotherhood, neighborhood, and motherhood.
- -ship: This suffix refers to a state or quality of being, often related to relationships or associations. Examples include friendship, leadership, citizenship, partnership, and ownership.
- -dom: This suffix refers to a state or condition of being, often related to a domain or territory. Examples include freedom, kingdom, wisdom, boredom, and martyrdom.
- -ance/-ence: These suffixes refer to a state or quality of being, often related to an action or process. Examples include assistance, confidence, patience, intelligence, and tolerance.
- -ity/-ty: These suffixes refer to a state or quality of being, similar to -ness and -ity. Examples include activity, community, diversity, responsibility, and security.
Abstract Nouns List
Abstract Nouns Examples
Emotions
- Joy
- Sorrow
- Anger
- Angst
- Fear
- Grief
- Hate
- Love
States
- Freedom
- Misery
- Happiness
- Fulfillment
- Denial
- Modernity
- Chaos
- Being
- Luxury
- Anxiety
- Peacefulness
Ideas
- Democracy
- Friendship
- Wisdom
- Knowledge
- Thought
- Sacrifice
- Truth
- Success
Concepts
- Decency
- Chivalry
- Charity
- Faith
- Perseverance
- Motivation
- Energy
- Opportunity
- Unity
- Culture
Events
- Birthday
- Holiday
- Childhood
- Adulthood
- Past
- Future
- Present
- Marriage
- Career
- Life
- Death
Qualities
- Beauty
- Ugliness
- Patience
- Honesty
- Courage
- Strength
- Weakness
- Boldness
- Fearfulness
- Fearlessness
Abstract Nouns List from A-Z
- Ability
- Adoration
- Advantage
- Adventure
- Amazement
- Anger
- Annoyance
- Anxiety
- Appetite
- Apprehension
- Artisty
- Awareness
- Awe
- Beauty
- Belief
- Bravery
- Brilliance
- Brutality
- Calm
- Care
- Chaos
- Charity
- Childhood
- Clarity
- Cleverness
- Coldness
- Comfort
- Communication
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Confusion
- Contentment
- Courage
- Crime
- Curiosity
- Customer service
- Death
- Deceit
- Dedication
- Defeat
- Delay
- Delight
- Despair
- Determination
- Dexterity
- Dictatorship
- Disappointment
- Disbelief
- Dishonesty
- Disquiet
- Disregard
- Disturbance
- Divorce
- Dream
- Education
- Ego
- Elegance
- Envy
- Evil
- Failure
- Faith
- Fascination
- Fear
- Fiction
- Fragility
- Freedom
- Friendship
- Gain
- Generation
- Generosity
- Goal
- Goodness
- Gossip
- Growth
- Happiness
- Hate
- Hatred
- Hope
- Horror
- Hurt
- Idea
- Infancy
- Infatuation
- Inflation
- Insanity
- Intelligence
- Irritation
- Joy
- Justice
- Kindness
- Laughter
- Law
- Liberty
- Lie
- Life
- Loneliness
- Loss
- Love
- Luck
- Luxury
- Maturity
- Mercy
- Movement
- Music
- Nap
- Need
- Opinion
- Opportunity
- Pain
- Patience
- Peace
- Peculiarity
- Perseverance
- Pleasure
- Poverty
- Power
- Pride
- Principle
- Reality
- Relaxation
- Relief
- Religion
- Restoration
- Riches
- Right
- Rumour
- Sacrifice
- Sanity
- Satisfaction
- Self-control
- Sensitivity
- Service
- Shock
- Silliness
- Skill
- Sleep
- Sorrow
- Speed
- Strenght
- Strictness
- Success
- Surprise
- Talent
- Thrill
- Timing
- Tiredness
- Tolerance
- Trend
- Trust
- Uncertainty
- Unemployment
- Union
- Unreality
- Victory
- Wariness
- Warmth
- Weakness
- Wealth
- Weariness
- Wisdom
- Wit
- Worry
Examples of Abstract Nouns in Sentences
- An employer should appraise the ability of his employees.
- He felt he would burst with anger and shame.
- I opened the packet just to satisfy my curiosity.
- Her dedication to her work was admirable.
- He listened in disbelief to this extraordinary story.
- He is admired for the elegance of his writing.
- Our friendship has steadily strengthened over the years.
- The economic growth dipped to a low point last year.
- May Christmas and the New Year be filled with happiness for you.
- He has no hope of passing the examination.
- Inflation is considered to be undesirable because of its adverse effects on income distribution.
- We must face tomorrow, whatever it may hold, with determination, joy, and bravery.
- Without respect, love cannot go far.
- In my humble opinion, he will win the election.
- I take it as a pleasure to attend your lecture.
- He smiled in satisfaction when he won the race.
- The onrush of tears took me by surprise.
- The trend at the moment is towards a more natural and less made-up look.
- Unemployment is likely to rise this year.
- Wisdom in the mind is better than money in the hand.
- He has exhibited symptoms of anxiety and overwhelming worry.
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