goodness

good·ness /ˈɡʊdnəs/ S3 noun [uncountableU]

1 my goodness!/goodness (gracious) me! spokenSURPRISED said when you are surprised or sometimes angry 天啊！啊呀！〔用于表示惊讶，有时也表示愤怒〕

My goodness, you have spent a lot!

啊呀，你花了这么多钱！

2 for goodness’ sake spokenANNOY said when you are annoyed or surprised, especially when telling someone to do something 看在老天爷的面上〔用来表示烦躁或惊讶，尤指要求某人做某事〕

For goodness’ sake stop arguing!

看在老天爷的面上，别吵了！

Examples from the Corpus

for goodness’ sake• For goodness' sake, be quiet!

3 goodness (only) knows spokenNOT KNOW used to emphasize that you are not sure about something, or to make a statement stronger 天晓得，谁也不知道〔用来强调对某事没有把握或加强语气〕

That bar’s been closed for goodness knows how long.

天晓得那家酒吧已经关了多久。

Goodness knows, I tried to help him!

天晓得，我还想办法帮他哩！

Examples from the Corpus

goodness (only) knows• The last bridge cost $30 million, and goodness knows how much a new one will cost.• At the mercy of wild animals and insects and snakes and goodness knows what horrors!• I suppose that ferrets are no more unusual as pets than rats, snakes and goodness only knows what else.• They took furnishings, china, sofas, televisions and goodness only knows what else.• But goodness knows, Nona had had her say there.• For aficionados those shortcuts are still there - it's still Control+KQX to quit - goodness knows why.• It seems you've survived, goodness knows how, for really it would not matter if you did not.• Though goodness knows why they think they have to do it so early in the morning.

4 being good 好GOOD/MORAL the quality of being good 善良的品质

the desire to see goodness and justice in the world

对善良和正义的向往

5 best part 精华部分HEALTHY the part of food which is good for your health 〔食品的〕精华

All the goodness of an egg is in the yolk.

蛋的营养全在蛋黄里。

6 have the goodness to do something old-fashioned formalLET/ALLOW used when asking someone to do something in an extremely polite way 劳驾做某事

Please have the goodness to wait.

劳驾您等一等。

Examples from the Corpus

have the goodness to do something• But I hope to learn these soon if anybody will have the goodness to bear with me.

7 out of the goodness of somebody’s heart used when someone has done something in order to be kind or helpful to other people 某人是出于好心

He did it out of the goodness of his heart.

他这么做是出于好心。

Examples from the Corpus

out of the goodness of somebody’s heart• Surely even an idiot must realise that they wouldn't donate this huge amount out of the goodness of their hearts.

Examples from the Corpus

goodness• She had a wonderful combination of beauty and goodness.• The distinction between virtue and goodness was not understood in modern times.• Anne believes in the basic goodness of all people.• Walnuts add crunchy goodness to salads, soups, and desserts.• That errant thought, coming from goodness knew where, made her heart beat an erratic tattoo.• His goodness shines through his every action.• From an attitude of generosity, warm feeling and motherly goodness, she now had shifted into a mood of high hilarity.• Not a lot of domestic politics about, thank goodness!• And thank goodness the figure has been released in time for rotational planning prior to harvest.• And the politicians, thank goodness, have only so much money with which to rip each other to shreds.• Thank goodness she had not succumbed to the idea of having Alice live with her.

good·ness noun

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus