† noughtinessn.
Obsolete.
Nothingness, worthlessness; badness, sinfulness, wickedness. Cf. naughtiness n. 1a.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > [noun]
woughc888
naughteOE
manOE
evilness1000
fakenOE
witherfulnessc1200
lithera1225
villainy?c1225
lithernessa1240
unwrastshipa1250
felonyc1290
shrewheadc1290
litherhead1297
illa1300
wicknessa1300
follyc1300
iniquity13..
shrewdom13..
wickhedec1305
shrewdheadc1315
shrewdnessc1315
unwrastnessc1315
wickednessa1340
malicea1382
unequityc1384
lewdnessa1387
mischiefa1387
wickedleka1400
wickedredea1400
badnessc1400
shrewdshipc1400
shrewnessc1425
ungoodlihead1430
wickdomc1440
rudenessc1451
mauvasty1474
unkindliness1488
noughtinessa1500
perversenessa1500
illnessc1500
filthiness?1504
noisomeness1506
naughtiness?1529
noughtihoodc1540
inexcellence1590
improbity1593
flagition1598
meschancy1609
scelerateness1613
pravity1620
meschantnessa1630
flagitiousness1692
flagitiosity1727
nefariousness1727
bale-fire1855
ill-conditionedness1866
iniquitousness1870
society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > [noun]
woughc888
manOE
evilness1000
evilc1040
un-i-thora1200
witherfulnessc1200
mixshipc1225
quedeship?c1225
lithernessa1240
unwrastshipa1250
felonyc1290
shrewheadc1290
litherhead1297
wickedheada1300
wicknessa1300
follyc1300
shrewdom13..
wickhedec1305
shrewdheadc1315
shrewdnessc1315
unwrastnessc1315
wickc1330
wickednessa1340
quedehead1340
quedeness1340
lewdnessa1387
felona1400
wickedleka1400
wickedredea1400
badnessc1400
shrewdshipc1400
shrewnessc1425
wickdomc1440
noughtinessa1500
naughtiness?1529
sinfulness1530
noughtihoodc1540
meschancy1609
scelerateness1613
meschantnessa1630
nefariousness1727
devilness1853
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > worthlessness
ames-ace?a1300
noughtinessa1500
unworthness1587
worthlessness1604
vacuity1613
idlenessa1650
nothingness1652
unvaluableness1665
jackstraw1828
valuelessness1830
trashiness1857
dead-beatism1869
a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 76 (MED) Al maner estimacion, be it neuer so litel, shal be drouned in þe valey of my nouȝtines [L. nihilertatis].
1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. a*iiii The more they se their owne nowghtynesse, and thynketh themselfe more & more vyle.
1551 W. Turner Herball (1568) i. 38 It may be the noughtines of the place may wonderfully minish the operation of the herbe.
1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 15 It is very necessarie for them sometimes to recreate them selues, so that..they geue not them selues to noughtinesse.
a1595 W. Cullen Chron. Aberdeen in J. Stuart Misc. Spalding Club (1842) II. 49 Bot sene Thy merce is to weill Ouir nochtthenes to hyd.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.a1500