The group of nouns called "abstract nouns" name people, places and things, but they do not involve any of the five senses. You cannot taste, hear, touch, see or smell an abstract noun. These are completely opposite of concrete nouns, which are things you can experience with one of the five senses. Use abstract noun lists with sentences to see examples of abstract nouns and better understand this type of word.
List of Emotion and Feeling Abstract Nouns
This abstract words list features nouns related to feelings and emotions in alphabetical order.
- Anger - Her anger reached boiling point.
- Awe - The girl's performance was awe-inspiring.
- Boredom - You can't stop boredom without imagination.
- Calm - The calm came before the storm hit.
- Compassion - Have a little compassion for those less fortunate than you.
- Delight - The taste of hot cocoa on a cold day is a pure delight.
- Despair - The woman's despair was apparent from her red nose and watery eyes.
- Disappointment - Her disappointment after the party was cancelled was expected.
- Excitement - Your excitement is contagious.
- Fascination - His fascination with dinosaurs was easy to understand.
- Grief - Grief never disappears, but it does get easier to handle.
- Happiness - My happiness doesn't depend on what other people think of me.
- Hate - Hate is an emotion that hurts the hater more than the hated.
- Hope - Even though she'd had a bad week, the girl had hope that things would be better tomorrow.
- Irritation - I tried not to show my irritation with the delay of game.
- Joy - The puppy's joy at seeing his master was evident as he bounced around the yard and barked.
- Keeness - She has a keenness for Monarch butterflies.
- Love - Love is hard to define, but you'll know it when you feel it.
- Misery - Chris' misery made him want to curl up in a ball in the corner and cry.
- Neutral - He put the car in neutral.
- Overwhelmed - Try not to feel overwhelmed with all your work.
- Pride - She took great pride in the custom cakes she baked and decorated.
- Quirk - The way she wears mismatched socks is a style quirk.
- Relief - You'll feel some relief when you jump in the lake.
- Satisfaction - Deborah gained satisfaction from baking cookies for her daughter's Girl Scout troop.
- Sympathy - When her best friend's grandfather died, Kelly did her best to offer sympathy and comfort.
- Timid - You can't be timid when you start an adventure.
- Upset - She was upset when her family moved.
- Worry - You don't have a worry in the world.
- Xenophobia - His xenophobia stopped him from traveling the world.
- Yearning - When the chocolate was gone, she had a yearning for more.
- Zest - He showed a zest for life.
List of Idea or Concept Abstract Nouns
An abstract concepts list or abstract ideas list includes general thoughts that can be hard to describe.
- Adventure - I hope this adventure involves dragons.
- Belief - His belief was that all cats are good company.
- Charity - My mother said that she preferred not to accept charity.
- Deceit - Her deceit knew no bounds.
- Dedication - The dedication for the new building is at six o'clock.
- Energy - They used all their energy on the bike ride.
- Faith - Her faith was strong enough to move mountains.
- Freedom - She wanted the freedom to decide what she would be when she grew up.
- Friendship - Your friendship is one of my favorite parts of the day.
- Gossip - Those kids were spreading gossip.
- Habit - Biting your nails is a bad habit.
- Imagination - Rebecca's imagination helped her picture what life would be like in five years.
- Justice - Although we want the world to be fair, justice is not always served.
- Knowledge - She had the knowledge to fix her car and make it run again.
- Luck - With a little luck, you'll get your birthday wish.
- Memory - The memory of her last birthday made Julie look forward to her next birthday.
- Negative - You can always turn a negative into a positive.
- Opportunity - Ann was given the opportunity to try out for a part in the school play.
- Peace - We all want world peace.
- Quandary - Finding a place for your new dresser in a tiny bedroom can be a real quandary.
- Reality - The reality of the situation was that she was lost in the woods and it was getting dark.
- Relaxation - For a little relaxation, kick off your shoes and dig your toes into the sand.
- Sacrifice - It was a great sacrifice to give up her spot on the soccer team.
- Thought - The thought that went into redecorating her bedroom took hours.
- Truth - Whenever someone asks you a question, it is always best to tell the truth.
- Trust - If you lie to people, eventually, you will lose their trust.
- Unemployment - When the factory closed, our state's unemployment rate went up.
- Victory - If you win this game, you will have one victory.
- Wisdom - The old man's wisdom helped the youngsters understand why family was important.
- Yang - Yang is a positive force in the universe.
List of Attribute or Quality Abstract Nouns
Characteristics of people, characters, or even animals are also abstract nouns.
- Bravery - The fireman's bravery allowed him to run into the burning building and rescue five people.
- Brilliance - The student's brilliance was only shown when he took his final exam.
- Courage - It takes courage to stick up for someone who is being bullied by others.
- Curiosity - Curiosity can help you learn new things.
- Determination - His determination to win the track meet showed on his face.
- Elegance - Her elegance was obvious from the way she walked.
- Fuss - She always makes a fuss about birthdays.
- Generosity - The old woman's generosity included giving whatever she could to other people.
- Honesty - Honesty is one of the most important traits in a good friend.
- Integrity - Because of the student's integrity, she didn't feel right about cheating on the test.
- Intelligence - Jeremy's intelligence was never in question.
- Kindness - A small act of kindness can completely change someone else's world.
- Loyalty - A dog's loyalty to his owner is one of his best qualities.
- Motivation - Her motivation for learning to play the piano was to make her mother happy.
- Nag - My dad says my mom likes to nag.
- Optimism - When you have optimism on your side, everything is manageable.
- Patience - You need patience to train a puppy to fetch a ball.
- Quarrel - It's never fun to get in a quarrel.
- Reason - There must be a reason she hates cats.
- Sanity - You have to practice self-care to save your sanity.
- Talent - Mary's talent was in knowing when to deliver the punch line and make everyone laugh.
- Virtue - He was beloved for his virtue.
- Warmth - The sunny yellow paint added warmth to the kitchen.
- X-factor - I couldn't tell you what was so special about her, she just had that x-factor.
Printable List of Abstract Nouns
If you need an abstract noun reference page, you can print out the free list of abstract nouns. Click on the image to download and print a list of 49 abstract nouns with example sentences. Use the troubleshooting guide if you need help.
Is it an Abstract Noun or Not?
Figuring out when you are dealing with an abstract noun can be confusing, because some abstract nouns also serve as verbs. Where the word appears in a sentence is part of what makes it an abstract noun. What purpose the word serves in a sentence is the other part of what makes it an abstract noun. For example, the word "fear" can be used as a verb or an abstract noun.
- Verb: I fear storms.
- Abstract Noun: The horror movie filled me with fear.
Enjoy the Intangible
Now that you've learned how abstract nouns are used in a sentence and seen examples in action, you'll recognize this particular category of nouns easily. To help students gain a better understanding of both concrete and abstract nouns, point them out as you are reading or encourage old children to find them as they read favorite books or even in everyday conversation. Make sure your grammar lesson plans include things like free grammar worksheets and elementary grammar activities to keep kids engaged and gauge their progress.
