Abstract nouns are integral to our language, allowing us to express complex ideas and emotions that cannot be seen or touched. These nouns differ from concrete nouns, which represent items that can be observed with our senses, like a book or a tree. Understanding how to identify and use abstract nouns enhances our ability to describe the world around us in a nuanced way.
Table of Contents
Understanding Abstract Nouns
Definition
An abstract noun is a grammatical term used to describe words that denote ideas, qualities, states of being, or events that have no physical presence. Unlike concrete nouns, which refer to objects that we can experience with our senses, abstract nouns embody the unseen and untouchable aspects of our world.
Characteristics
Abstract nouns share several unique characteristics:
- Intangibility: They cannot be experienced through the five senses.
- Conceptual: They represent ideas, feelings, qualities, or concepts.
- Invariant: Often, they do not have a plural form, as they signify unquantifiable entities.
Formation
We can form abstract nouns in various ways:
- By adding a suffix to adjectives or verbs (e.g., “happiness” from “happy,” “departure” from “depart”).
- Through conversion, where words change grammatical categories without altering the form (e.g., “love” can be both a verb and an abstract noun).
- Via compounding, combining two words to create a new noun (e.g., “heartache”).
In summary, abstract nouns allow us to articulate thoughts and emotions, making them an indispensable component of our language.
Categories of Abstract Nouns
In our exploration of language, we often encounter terms that don’t have a physical form but play a crucial role in our communication. These are known as abstract nouns, and they are categorized based on the type of idea they represent: emotions, states, qualities, and concepts.
Emotions
Emotions are abstract nouns that describe our internal feelings. For example:
- Happiness: The joy we feel when something good happens.
- Anger: The response to something that causes us irritation or displeasure.
States
States refer to conditions or situations that can change over time. They include:
- Sleep: A state of rest when we are not awake.
- Youth: The period of being young or the state of being youthful.
Qualities
Qualities are characteristics or attributes that we use to describe someone or something. Consider these instances:
- Bravery: The admirable quality of being able to face danger without fear.
- Wisdom: The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.
Concepts
Concepts are ideas or principles that exist in the mind. Specific examples are:
- Democracy: The concept of government by the people, typically through elected representatives.
- Infinity: The idea of something without any limit or end.
Uses of Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns are crucial for expressing concepts that are not tangible but are equally significant in our language and daily interactions. They allow us to articulate complex ideas and emotions with clarity.
In Language Arts
In the realm of language arts, we often employ abstract nouns to convey deeper meanings and themes within literature and poetry. These nouns allow us to discuss intangible qualities such as bravery in a character arc or the concept of freedom within a narrative. For instance:
- Themes: Love, justice, betrayal
- Character Traits: Honesty, ambition, courage
By using abstract nouns, we give our readers anchors to complex ideas that would otherwise be difficult to communicate.
In Everyday Communication
In our everyday interactions, abstract nouns permeate our conversations, even when we’re not fully aware of it. We use them to describe feelings, relationships, and ideas that are not physically present but are understood universally:
- Emotions: Joy, sadness, elation
- Qualities: Generosity, integrity, patience
- Concepts: Democracy, education, knowledge
Through abstract nouns, we express not only personal experiences but also collective understandings, helping us connect with others on a profound level.
List of Abstract Noun
List of 150 common abstract nouns in English.
- Ability
- Generation
- Cleverness
- Generosity
- Confidence
- Goal
- Horror
- Goodness
- Advantage
- Annoyance
- Anxiety
- Appetite
- Apprehension
- Awareness
- Awe
- Beauty
- Communication
- Belief
- Adventure
- Amazement
- Anger
- Bravery
- Brilliance
- Calm
- Care
- Chaos
- Adoration
- Charity
- Childhood
- Confusion
- Clarity
- Coldness
- Comfort
- Compassion
- Education
- Ego
- Elegance
- Envy
- Courage
Abstract Noun | Infographic 1
- Crime
- Curiosity
- Customer service
- Death
- Deceit
- Delay
- Delight
- Determination
- Disappointment
- Disquiet
- Disregard
- Disturbance
- Divorce
- Dream
- Evil
- Failure
- Faith
- Fascination
- Fear
- Fiction
- Fragility
- Freedom
- Hurt
- Idea
- Infancy
- Friendship
- Gain
- Gossip
- Dedication
- Defeat
- Growth
- Happiness
- Hate
- Hatred
- Hope
- Disbelief
- Dishonesty
- Infatuation
- Life
- Loneliness
- Inflation
- Insanity
- Mercy
- Movement
- Music
- Opinion
- Opportunity
- Intelligence
- Irritation
- Joy
- Justice
- Kindness
- Laughter
- Law
- Liberty
- Lie
- Loss
- Love
- Luck
- Luxury
- Maturity
- Pain
- Nap
- Need
- Patience
- Peace
- Peculiarity
- Union
- Wariness
Abstract Nouns | Infographic 2
- Pleasure
- Poverty
- Power
- Pride
- Riches
- Right
- Sacrifice
- Principle
- Reality
- Trend
- Trust
- Uncertainty
- Relaxation
- Relief
- Religion
- Speed
- Weakness
- Wealth
- Restoration
- Sanity
- Success
- Surprise
- Talent
- Thrill
- Satisfaction
- Worry
- Sensitivity
- Service
- Shock
- Silliness
- Skill
- Sleep
- Tiredness
- Tolerance
- Unreality
- Victory
- Unemployment
- Warmth
- Wit
- Sorrow
- Wisdom
- Strength
Abstract Nouns | Examples
- Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
- Manufacturers are working on a new generation of cheaper digital radios.
- Most missiles with pretensions to cleverness are brighter than a laser-guided bomb, but not as clever as a Tomahawk.
- There are stories about his generosity, the massive amounts of money he gave to charities.
- She felt nervous, increasingly lacking in confidence about herself.
- To me, they hide in the depths of your soul; be a distant dream, every dream will exceed your goal.
- She seemed to personify goodness and nobility.
- Students from a privileged background have an advantage at university.
- The noisy traffic is a continual annoyance to the citizens.
- Children normally feel a lot of anxiety about their first day at school.
- I love reading: I have an insatiable appetite for vicarious experience.
- It’s normal to feel a little apprehension before starting a new job.
- The campaign was designed to increase public awareness of the problem.
- The love of beauty is an essential part of all healthy human nature.
- He looked at me with a mixture of amazement and horror.
- Even if the boy is of uncommon brilliance, he should not have been praised to the skies.
- The charity will be taking food and essential supplies to six refugee camps.
- There is a question mark over the future of geriatric care.
- We were thrown into confusion by the news.
- I felt there was a certain coldness in her manner.
- A desperate tiredness set in after hours of anxious waiting.
- The organization promotes racial tolerance and unity in diversity.
- There was an air of unreality about the visit, as if I’d stepped into another world for two weeks.
-
I will make you happy when you are depressed. i will make you delighted when you are in great sorrow!
- Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position.
- There is no direct reference to her own childhood in the novel.
- The old people are treated with great compassion.
- Her angry words jolted him out of the belief that she loved him.
- You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.
- Ramona spoke with warmth when she recollected the doctor who used to be at the county hospital.
- Fortune often rewards with interest those that have patience to wait for her.
- Those who foolishly seek power by riding on the back of the tiger and up inside.
tanvai Kumari
Monday 4th of January 2021
hi where do you live?please answer
bella jacobson
Thursday 3rd of December 2020
good-great
manisha
Saturday 12th of September 2020
secure
Akanksha kumari
Sunday 23rd of August 2020
Kind- kindness
tanvai Kumari
Monday 4th of January 2021
hi please answer ok where do you live?please please answer ok