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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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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