The Abstract Noun

Recognize an abstract noun when you find one.

Nouns name people, places, and things. One class of nouns is abstract. Your five senses cannot detect this group of nouns. You cannot see them, hear them, smell them, taste them, or feel them.


Cannot see	Cannot hear	Cannot smell	Cannot taste	Cannot touch

Read this example:

When Joseph dived into the violent waves to rescue a drowning puppy, his bravery amazed the crowd of fishermen standing on the dock.

Bravery, one of the nouns in this sentence, is an example of an abstract noun. You can see Joseph, the water, and the crowd. But you cannot see bravery itself. Nor can you use your ears, nose, tongue, or fingertips to experience it, for bravery has no color, size, shape, sound, odor, flavor, or texture. Any noun that escapes your five senses is an abstract noun.

Do not confuse an abstract noun with a concrete noun.

Many nouns are concrete, not abstract. Concrete nouns register on your five senses.

Here is an example:

Joseph cuddled the wet puppy under his warm jacket.

Puppy is an example of a concrete noun. You can see a puppy, stroke its fur, smell its breath, and listen to it whine. You can even taste the puppy if you do not mind pulling dog hair off your tongue! Because a puppy will register on all five senses, puppy is a concrete noun.

This chart contrasts abstract and concrete nouns:

Abstract Nouns Concrete Nouns

annoyance
deceit
dedication
destruction
curiosity
guilt
intelligence
loyalty
trust
relaxation
pothole
plagiarist
teacher
bomb
cat
ice cream
diploma
dog
airplane
bubble bath

Abstract Nouns	Concrete Nouns
annoyance deceit dedication destruction curiosity guilt intelligence loyalty trust relaxation	pothole plagiarist teacher bomb cat ice cream diploma dog airplane bubble bath

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