goodness

goodness
good|ness
S2 [ˈgudnıs] n [U]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
1 my goodness!/goodness (gracious) me!
2 for goodness' sake
3 goodness (only) knows
4¦(being good)¦
5¦(best part)¦
6 have the goodness to do something
7 out of the goodness of somebody's heart
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
1.) my goodness!/goodness (gracious) me!
spoken said when you are surprised or sometimes angry
▪ My goodness, you have spent a lot!
2.) for goodness' sake
spoken said when you are annoyed or surprised, especially when telling someone to do something
▪ For goodness' sake stop arguing!
3.) goodness (only) knows
spoken used to emphasize that you are not sure about something, or to make a statement stronger
▪ That bar's been closed for goodness knows how long.
▪ Goodness knows, I tried to help him!
4.) ¦(BEING GOOD)¦
the quality of being good
▪ the desire to see goodness and justice in the world
5.) ¦(BEST PART)¦
the part of food which is good for your health
▪ All the goodness of an egg is in the yolk.
6.) have the goodness to do sth
old-fashioned formal used when asking someone to do something in an extremely polite way
▪ Please have the goodness to wait.
7.) out of the goodness of sb's heart
used when someone has done something in order to be kind or helpful to other people
▪ He did it out of the goodness of his heart.

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • goodness — goodness, virtue, rectitude, morality are comparable and very general terms denoting moral excellence. Goodness is the broadest of these terms; it suggests an excellence so deeply established that it is often felt as inherent or innate rather… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Goodness! — | ˌGoodness ˈme! | ˌMy ˈgoodness! | ˌGoodness ˈgracious! idiom (informal) used to express surprise • Goodness, what a big balloon! • My goodness, you have been busy! …   Useful english dictionary

  • Goodness me! — Goodness! | ˌGoodness ˈme! | ˌMy ˈgoodness! | ˌGoodness ˈgracious! idiom (informal) used to express surprise • Goodness, what a big balloon! • My goodness, you have been busy! …   Useful english dictionary

  • Goodness — Good ness, n. [AS. g[=o]dnes.] The quality of being good in any of its various senses; excellence; virtue; kindness; benevolence; as, the goodness of timber, of a soil, of food; goodness of character, of disposition, of conduct, etc. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • goodness — O.E. godnes goodness, virtue, kindliness; see GOOD (Cf. good) (adj.) + NESS (Cf. ness). In exclamations from 1610s, first recorded being for goodnesse sake, i.e. as you trust in the goodness of God …   Etymology dictionary

  • goodness — [good′nis] n. [ME goodnesse < OE godnes] 1. the state or quality of being good; specif., a) virtue; excellence b) kindness; generosity; benevolence 2. the best part, essence, or valuable element of a thing interj. used to express surprise or… …   English World dictionary

  • goodness — index benevolence (disposition to do good), decorum, ethics, good faith, honor (good reputation), integrity, merit …   Law dictionary

  • goodness — [n] decency, excellence advantage, beneficence, benefit, benevolence, ethicality, friendliness, generosity, good will, grace, graciousness, honesty, honor, humaneness, integrity, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, mercy, merit, morality,… …   New thesaurus

  • goodness — ► NOUN 1) the quality of being good. 2) the nutritious element of food. ► EXCLAMATION ▪ (as a substitution for ‘God’) expressing surprise, anger, etc …   English terms dictionary

  • goodness — good|ness1 [ gudnəs ] interjection * used for showing that you are surprised: Goodness, is it time to go already? goodness me: Goodness me! You ve grown! goodness gracious (me): Goodness gracious me! What do you mean? my goodness (me): My… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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