/ˈɡʊdnəs/
#1599 of 5,000 Core 5000
Translation
A word people say when they are surprised or shocked.
Word origin
From Old English godnes, the quality of being good. People began saying it in place of the word God when they were surprised.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- godnes
- English cognates
- good
Examples
, !
"Goodness" shows surprise, often about something sudden.
, !
"My goodness" is the most common form.
.
"Thank goodness" shows relief that something is over.
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 32.