nobleness
nobleness — noun
1. the quality of being honest, brave, and morally upright, especially when facing
the quality of being honest, brave, and morally upright, especially when facing difficult personal choices
Mayor Yoshida's nobleness during the earthquake won the respect of every political party.
nobleness + during + crisis event
Chen showed true nobleness by taking full responsibility for the team's failure.
Layla's nobleness in forgiving those who had lied about her amazed the whole community.
What people admired about Dr. Okafor was her nobleness; she never chose the easy path.
In a world full of selfishness, nobleness of spirit stands out as a rare quality.
- nobility
far more common than nobleness; used in the same abstract moral sense
- integrity
emphasises consistency of moral principles rather than lofty ideals
- virtue
broader; covers any specific good quality, not just moral courage
- honour
focuses on reputation and keeping one's word; more social than nobleness
文法句型
nobleness of [abstract noun]
用法筆記
Frequently used with abstract nouns such as character, spirit, purpose, or mind to describe a person's inner moral quality. This sense is more common in formal or literary writing than in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of appearing grand, beautiful, and impressive in a way that commands
the quality of appearing grand, beautiful, and impressive in a way that commands admiration
The nobleness of the old cathedral's design left every visitor speechless.
the nobleness of + architectural feature
Paintings from the Renaissance period often capture a sense of nobleness and elegance.
The palace's marble halls conveyed a nobleness that reflected the empire's former power.
There was a quiet nobleness in the simple stone temple surrounded by cherry blossoms.
The nobleness of the mountain scenery made the long climb feel worthwhile.
- grandeur
the most natural modern word for visual impressiveness
- magnificence
suggests rich ornamentation and splendour
- splendour
emphasises brightness and dazzling beauty
- majesty
suggests awe-inspiring greatness often linked to power
- plainness
lack of decoration or impressive features
- humbleness
modest in scale or appearance
文法句型
the nobleness of [noun]
用法筆記
Typically describes architecture, art, landscapes, or natural scenery. Unlike sense 1, this sense focuses on visual or physical impressiveness rather than moral qualities.
常見錯誤
3. the fact of belonging to the highest social class by inheritance in a traditiona
the fact of belonging to the highest social class by inheritance in a traditional society
In many traditional societies, nobleness of birth gave a person automatic privileges and power.
nobleness of birth — social rank
The novel describes a woman whose nobleness is questioned because of her family's hidden past.
Nobleness of blood no longer carries the legal authority it held a century ago.
Historically, nobleness of rank meant access to education, land, and political influence.
- nobility
the standard modern term for the social class of nobles
- high birth
descriptive phrase emphasising family origin
- aristocracy
the social class itself; less personal than nobleness
- common birth
born outside the noble class
- low birth
archaic term for non-aristocratic origin
文法句型
nobleness of birth / blood / rank
用法筆記
This sense is largely historical or literary in modern English. The word nobility is far more common than nobleness for referring to aristocratic status. Distinguish from sense 1: nobleness of character refers to moral quality, while nobleness of birth refers to inherited social position.