1
: the quality or state of being good
There's goodness in everyone.
They agreed to help out of the goodness of their hearts. [=because they are good and kind people]
2
—used interjectionally or in phrases especially to express mild surprise or shock
oh, my goodness!
goodness knows
3
: the nutritious, flavorful, or beneficial part of something
the goodness of the vegetables
Examples of goodness in a Sentence
Even if you don't agree, at least have the goodness to be polite!
a person of such unaffected goodness that his friends were inspired to lead better lives
Recent Examples on the Web
One such chef leading the charge is Tsubasa Tamaki and his Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST); and this spring, the toque is bringing all that cheesy goodness stateside.
—
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2026
Your guests will actually have dreams about these cheesy bites of goodness.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
My first thought was, at least have this plant leave through the house, for goodness sake, but the second was a certain disappointment at some blown authenticity.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
My first thought was, at least have this plant leave through the house, for goodness sake.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for goodness
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2026
Your guests will actually have dreams about these cheesy bites of goodness.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
My first thought was, at least have this plant leave through the house, for goodness sake, but the second was a certain disappointment at some blown authenticity.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
My first thought was, at least have this plant leave through the house, for goodness sake.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for goodness
Cite this Entry
“Goodness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goodness. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
