Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are words that name things that are not concrete. Your five physical senses cannot detect an abstract noun – you can’t see it, smell it, taste it, hear it, or touch it. In essence, an abstract noun is a quality, a concept, an idea, or maybe even an event.

Abstract nouns and concrete nouns are usually defined in terms of one another. Something that is abstract exists only in the mind, while something that is concrete can be interacted with in a physical way. Qualities, relationships, theories, conditions, and states of being are some examples of the types of things abstract nouns define.

Types of Abstract Nouns

It’s not always easy to determine if a noun is abstract or concrete. Many grammar experts argue over whether certain terms, making things even worse. The line separating abstract nouns from concrete nouns is often quite blurry. For example, many abstract noun lists include the word laughter, but others leave it out, as it’s something that can be heard, seen, and physically felt.

Abstract Noun Examples

The following lists contain different types of abstract nouns. Certain abstract nouns, especially the ones describing feelings and emotions, easily fit into multiple categories, as they can be used in different ways. Get to know them, and it’ll be easier for you to spot an abstract noun when you see one.

Feelings	States	Emotions	Qualities	Concepts	Ideas	Events
Anxiety	Being	Anger	Beauty	Charity	SBeliefs	Adventure
Confusion	Chaos	Despair	Beauty	Comfort	SCommunication	Birthday
Fear	Freedom	Happiness	Brilliance	Culture	Curiosity	Career
Pain	Liberty	Hate	Courage	Deceit	Democracy	Childhood
Pleasure	Luxury	Indifference	Dedication	Energy	Friendship	Death
Satisfaction	Misery	Joy	Determination	Failure	Interest	Future
Sensitivity	Nervousness	Grief	Generosity	Faith	Knowledge	Holiday
Stress	Openness	Love	Honesty	Motivation	Thought	Life
Sympathy	Peace	Sadness	Patience	Opportunity	Sacrifice	Marriage
Warmth	Pessimism	Sorrow	Trust	Perseverance	Wisdom	Past

Gerund and Infinitive: What’s the Difference?

Knowing the difference between gerund and infinitive can save you from making costly grammar mistakes when writing. In a nutshell, a word formed from a verb acting as a noun and ending in ing is a gerund. Infinitive phrases – normally referred to as infinitives – are formed with the word to in front of a verb. Both gerunds and infinitives can be subjects in sentences, and both gerunds and infinitives can serve as the object of a verb.

Now that you know how these two elements can work in similar ways, it’s time to note an important difference in the gerund/infinitive equation: A gerund can be the object of a preposition; an infinitive cannot.