goodness

goodness — noun

1. the healthy substances in food that help your body grow, repair itself, and stay

1.nounB1
Definition

the healthy substances in food that help your body grow, repair itself, and stay strong

Example

Aylin always saves the water from boiled vegetables because it contains the goodness.

uncountable: the goodness / all the goodness

Eli eats raw carrots because he believes they give him more goodness that way.

Common collocations
  • natural goodness
  • all the goodness
  • goodness of [food]
  • lost its goodness
  • full of goodness
Synonyms
  • nutrition

    more scientific and general; 'goodness' implies natural, unprocessed benefit

  • nourishment

    focuses on what the body needs to grow and stay healthy; 'goodness' is more everyday and informal

  • benefit

    wider in meaning, covering non-food advantages; 'goodness' is specific to food

Usage Note

Only used as an uncountable noun. Often appears with possessive determiners ('its goodness', 'all the goodness') or before 'of' ('the goodness of whole grains').

2. the inner quality that makes a person kind, honest, and morally good in the way

2.nounB2
Definition

the inner quality that makes a person kind, honest, and morally good in the way they treat others

Example

Iker showed his goodness when he gave his lunch to a homeless stranger.

The story teaches children about the goodness of helping others without reward.

uncountable: the goodness of + gerund

Common collocations
  • goodness of heart
  • innate goodness
  • human goodness
  • goodness in someone
  • act of goodness
Synonyms
  • virtue

    more formal and suggests a moral quality developed through effort; 'goodness' feels more innate

  • kindness

    focuses specifically on gentle, caring behaviour; 'goodness' is broader in scope

  • morality

    refers to a system of principles rather than a personal quality; 'goodness' is more about character than rules

Antonyms
  • evil

    the most direct opposite; deliberate harm or cruelty

  • wickedness

    stronger and more dramatic; suggests active malice rather than simple lack of goodness

Usage Note

Commonly paired with other abstract nouns like 'kindness', 'mercy', and 'grace'. 'Goodness' emphasises a natural, inborn quality of character rather than an acquired habit.

Common Mistakes

I believe in the goodness of people's nature.
I believe in the goodness of people.
'goodness' already implies character; adding 'nature' is redundant.
Idioms

out of the goodness of your heart

idiom

said to emphasise that someone does something purely out of kindness and generosity, without expecting anything in return

João helped the elderly neighbour with her shopping out of the goodness of his heart, not for money.

Mira paid for the stranger's meal out of the goodness of her heart.

God/goodness/Heaven knows

idiom

Used to emphasize that you have no idea about something.

God knows where I left my keys last night.

Heaven knows why she decided to quit her job.

honest to God/goodness

idiom

Used to emphasize that you are telling the truth.

Honest to God, I didn't take your book.

Honest to goodness, that is exactly what happened.

to God/goodness/Heaven

idiom

Used after a verb to strongly express a wish or hope.

I wish to Heaven she would call me back.

He prayed to God that his son would recover.

goodness — exclamation

Word family

  • good
    adjectiveA1
  • good
    nounA2
  • goodly
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Goodness, virtue, morality, kindness, and righteousness all refer to morally positive qualities, but they differ in scope and tone. Goodness suggests a natural, inborn quality of character — someone is good-hearted without trying. Virtue implies a moral excellence cultivated through practice or discipline (patience is a virtue one works at). Morality refers to a system of principles about right and wrong, rather than a personal trait. Kindness is narrower: it focuses on gentle, caring behaviour toward others, while goodness includes honesty and integrity. Righteousness carries religious or judgmental overtones — it often implies moral correctness with a sense of standing up for what is right. For everyday use, 'goodness' is warmer and more personal; 'virtue' is more formal; 'morality' is more abstract; 'righteousness' is more intense. A person might show goodness by quietly helping a neighbour, practise virtue by telling the truth even when it is hard, and act with righteousness by publicly opposing injustice.

virtue ↗morality ↗kindness ↗righteousness ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Goodness comes from Old English gōdnes, a combination of gōd ('good') and the suffix -nes ('-ness', which turns an adjective into a noun). The word has been used since before the year 1000 to mean both 'moral excellence' and 'beneficial quality'. Its structure is identical in related Germanic languages: Dutch goedheid and German Güte. The exclamation use — calling out 'Goodness!' in surprise — developed in the 1600s as a mild alternative to swearing by God's name.