This is an easy concept to understand and in this section, we are going to fully explain the abstract noun so that you can become confident in using them within your spoken and written English.

What is an abstract noun? In English, Abstract nouns refer to abstract objects which you cannot see, hear, touch, smell, or taste (ideas or concepts).

If you can perceive something through one of your senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell), the name of that thing is a concrete noun. If the thing you are describing is not a physical object, its name is an abstract noun. In the sentence “New clothes bring me joy,” “clothes” is a concrete noun; “joy” is an abstract noun.

An abstract noun is a type of noun that refers to a concept or idea. Abstract nouns illustrate things that can not be touched, tasted, smelled, seen, heard, or otherwise felt through the physical senses. They do not refer to physical objects, but rather notions, emotions, or states of being.