-ness is added to adjectives to form nouns which often refer to a state or quality. For example, 'sadness' is the state of being sad and 'kindness' is the quality of being kind.
'This is not good,' he said with great seriousness.
ness in British English
(nɛs)
noun
a. archaic
a promontory or headland
b.
(capital as part of a name)
Orford Ness
Word origin
Old English næs headland; related to Old Norse nes, Old English nasunose
Ness in British English
(nɛs)
noun
Loch Ness
-ness in British English
suffix forming nouns
indicating state, condition, or quality, or an instance of one of these
greatness
selfishness
meaninglessness
a kindness
Word origin
Old English -nes, of Germanic origin; related to Gothic -nassus
Ness in American English
(nɛs)
Lochlake in NW Scotland: 23 mi (37 km) long
ness in American English
(nɛs)
noun
a promontory; headland
now chiefly in place names [Inverness]
Word origin
ME nesse < OE næs & ON nes, akin to OE nosu, nose
-ness in American English
(nɪs; nəs)
state, quality, or instance of being
togetherness, sadness
Word origin
ME -nesse < OE -nes(s), akin to Ger -niss, Goth -nassus (for -assus, with n- < end of the preceding component)
Examples of 'ness' in a sentence
ness
Autumn was surprised by his unexpected show of playful ness.
Lawson, Jonell ROSES ARE FOR THE RICH
`When I have my own flat, I am going to have an `open ness " -- is that what you call it?
Emecheta, Buchi GWENDOLEN
His rootless ness appalled him; he felt very alone and he looked for a link.