Abstract Noun
An abstract noun is a noun that refers to an intangible concept such as an emotion, a feeling, a quality, or an idea. In other words, an abstract noun does not refer to a physical object.
- consideration, parenthood, belief, anger
Table of Contents
- More Examples of Abstract Nouns
- Find the Abstract Noun Test
- Abstract Nouns vs Concrete Nouns
- List of Abstract Nouns
- Why Abstract Nouns Are Important
- Video Lesson
- Test Time!
More Examples of Abstract Nouns
Here are some more examples of abstract nouns categorized under conceptual headings:
| Heading | Examples |
|---|
| feelings | anxiety, fear, pleasure, stress, sympathy |
| states | being, freedom, misery, chaos, luxury |
| emotions | anger, hate, joy, grief, sorrow |
| qualities | courage, patience, determination, generosity, honesty |
| concepts | charity, deceit, opportunity, comfort, democracy |
| moments | birthday, childhood, marriage, career, death |
Find the Abstract Noun Test
It's your go! Select the abstract noun.
Abstract Nouns vs Concrete Nouns
Abstract nouns contrast with concrete noun, which denote tangible things, i.e., things that can be perceived with one of the five senses.
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Here is a table with some abstract and concrete nouns:
| Abstract Noun | Concrete Noun |
|---|
| luxury | silk |
| success | money |
| energy | gas |
| friendship | friend |
| luck | horseshoe |
| love | kiss |
Abstract or Concrete? It Could Be Ambiguous.
It is not always easy to differentiate between an abstract noun and a concrete noun, and it is not unusual for students to argue over whether a noun is abstract or concrete. For example, "laughter" is often cited as an abstract noun, but "laughter" can be heard, which would make it a concrete noun.
We would agree that "laughter" is a concrete noun, but what about "love," "work," and "result"? It is fairly easy to make cases for these being concrete nouns, but they are classified as abstract nouns. Be aware that the distinction between abstract noun and concrete noun is sometimes blurry.
- Working for Disney was a childhood dream come true. (American actress Brittany Curran) (In this context, "dream" is an abstract noun with a meaning similar to "hope.")
- When I was a little kid, I used to have a vivid recurring dream about Captain Hook. (American actress Cristin Milioti) (In this context, "dream" does not mean "hope." Here, "dream" could be classified as a concrete noun, especially if you think a dream is perceived via your senses.)
List of Abstract Nouns
- anger, anxiety, beauty, beliefs, bravery, brilliance, chaos, charity, childhood, comfort, communication, compassion, courage, culture, curiosity, deceit, dedication, democracy, determination, energy, failure, faith, fear, freedom, friendship, generosity, gossip, happiness, hate, honesty, hope, imagination, information, integrity, intelligence, joy, justice, kindness, knowledge, liberty, life, love, loyalty, luxury, misery, motivation, opportunity, pain, patience, peace, perseverance, pleasure, pride, relaxation, sacrifice, satisfaction, skill, strength, success, sympathy, talent, thought, trust, truth, warmth, wisdom
Why Abstract Nouns Are Important
- . and my bicycle never leaned against the garage as it does today, all the dark blue speed drained out of it. (from "On Turning Ten" by American Poet Laureate Billy Collins (Here, Billy Collins uses concrete nouns to contemplate the abstract ideas of ageing and the loss of innocence.)
Remember that a noun is labelled as concrete or abstract based on its meaning not its grammatical function. In other words, abstract nouns and concrete nouns operate the same way grammatically.
Key Point
- If writing a poem, consider expressing abstract ideas using concrete nouns.
Video Lesson
Here is a short video summarizing the difference between abstract nouns and concrete nouns: video lesson
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.
This page was written by Craig Shrives.
