Today we are going to discuss about abstract nouns with examples and at the end we will look at some sentences to properly help you understand the concept.
What is an Abstract Noun?
Abstract means something that only exists in mind or something that doesn’t have any physical existence. Therefore, An Abstract Noun is usually the name of a quality, action or state considered apart from the object to which it belongs.
It refers to noun which describes ideas, qualities, conditions and things that cannot be seen or touched and which do not physically exist like feelings, emotions etc..
Qualities, relationships, theories, beliefs, emotions, ideas, conditions, and states of being are also some examples of the types of things abstract nouns define.
Abstract nouns have no color, no size, no texture, no taste, and no smell therefore they cannot be perceived using our senses.
It’s not always easy to determine if a noun is abstract or not. Though we have different types of abstract nouns describing feelings, quality, ideas, conditions, states etc.
List of Abstract Nouns
Some Examples of abstract nouns are Love, Confusion, Frustration, Friction, Force, Air, Hatred, Idea, Calm, Fear, Friendship etc.
| Quality | Action | State | Emotions |
| Darkness | Movement | Childhood | Anxiety |
| Kindness | Death | Slavery | Confusion |
| Honesty | Laughter | Career | Fear |
| Wisdom | Heroism | Life | Stress |
| Bravery | Theft | Marriage | Sensitivity |
- Darkness, kindness, wisdom and other qualities are abstract nouns.
- Laughter, heroism, theft and other actions are abstract nouns.
- Fear, stress, anxiety and other emotions are abstract nouns.
Some of the above mentioned words can easily fit into multiple categories as they can be used in different ways for example word ‘Death’ can be both an action and a state, similarly for ‘Confusion’ it can be both an emotion and a state.
It is always good to know how abstract nouns are derived from nouns, verbs and adjectives. Let us look at some of the derivations here.
Abstract nouns derived from nouns
- Noun: man, Abstract Noun: manhood
Abstract nouns derived from verbs
- Verb: behave, Abstract Noun: behavior
Abstract nouns derived from adjectives
- Adjective: wise, Abstract Noun: wisdom
Get to know them, and it’ll be easier for you to spot an abstract noun when you see them in sentences.
We can think of qualities like bravery, strength, beauty etc. apart from any particular person or thing, and speak of by themselves as a single identity. So, we can also speak of what persons do or feel apart from the persons themselves, and give it a name. Therefore the word abstract also means drawn off.
Examples of Abstract Noun in Sentences
Let us now look at some example of sentences using abstract noun words.
| Abstract Noun | Sentence Examples |
| Love | A mother’s love is eternal. |
| Peace | Peace is essential for survival. |
| Pride | Pride has led to downfall of many mighty men. |
| Anger | Anger can ruin many good things. |
| Honesty | Honesty is the best policy. |
| Bravery | Bravery is a rare trait. |
| Knowledge | A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. |
| Brilliance | Brilliance alone does not ensure success. |
| Justice | A nation runs on the principle of justice. |
| Pleasure | It was a great pleasure to see the fleet of ships safely arriving on the shore. |
| Delight | The little girl exclaimed in delight on seeing her father. |
| Awe | The dance performance had everyone in awe. |
| Reality | Reality is stranger than fiction. |
| Loyalty | Loyalty comes with a huge price. |
| Courage | Every adversity can be faced if only one has courage. |
| Trust | Trust once lost is hard to regain. |
| Misery | If we don’t act wisely, we will have to live in misery. |
| Patriotism | Working towards a brighter future of our country is true patriotism. |
| Truth | Truth ultimately triumphs over evil. |
| Faith | Faith is hard to earn. |
| Liberty | Liberty comes with responsibility. |
| Despair | Simran was in despair after seeing her results. |
| Calm | The storm is preceded by a calm. |
| Wisdom | Our parents advise us from experience and wisdom. |
| Hate | The look of hate on her face can not be easily forgotten. |
| Integrity | Integrity is important for long term success. |
| Deceit | No man has flourished through deceit. |
| Compassion | A mother showers infinite compassion on her child. |
| Childhood | Childhood is one of the best phases of life. |
| Friendship | A true friendship is more than valuable than money. |
| Charity | Charity begins at home but should not end there. |
| Kindness | Our world needs more kindness with every passing day. |
| Freedom | Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics. |
| Hope | The world sustains on hope. |
| Joy | The foundation of true joy is in the conscience. |
I hope this guide will clear all your confusions related to abstract nouns and make more aware of them.
Keep exploring EnglishBix to learn about different types of nouns and how they are used.
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