Adventuresomeness

/ədˈvɛntʃɚsəmnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being adventuresome; the degree to which someone is willing to take risks and seek adventure.

Etymology

From 'adventuresome' (adjective) + '-ness' (Old English suffix creating abstract nouns). The '-ness' suffix is the most productive noun-forming suffix in English, turning adjectives into abstract nouns since before the year 1000.

Kelly Says

The '-ness' suffix is so common that English speakers add it to almost any adjective without thinking—'sadness,' 'kindness,' 'weirdness.' This makes English incredibly flexible, but it also means we have thousands of near-synonyms that differ only slightly in how 'technical' they sound.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.