Lists of Uncountable Nouns in English

Lists of Uncountable Nouns in English

Uncountable Nouns A-B

A-B	Definition	example sentence
access	the right to see or use something	Only a few people have access to this information.
accommodation	a place to live in or stay at	Does the company provide accommodation for the workers?
adulthood	the period of time when you're an adult	You'll have more freedom in adulthood, but more responsibilities too.
advertising	the business of making companies and products well-known	A lot of creative people work in advertising.
advice	suggestions about what someone should do	If you're not sure what to do, ask your friends for advice.
aggression	the urge to attack or to fight	If he needs an outlet for his aggression, he could try boxing.
aid	money or help given to those who need it	Should rich countries give more aid to poor countries?
air	the mixture of gases surrounding the earth	If there's not enough air in the room, open a window.
alcohol	substance in drinks that makes people feel drunk	Whiskey contains much more alcohol than beer.
anger	a strong feeling we can get if we think we're being treated badly	Why was someone with so much anger allowed to own a gun?
applause	the sound of clapping after a performance or a speech	After the concert, the applause went on for at least five minutes.
arithmetic	simple mathematics like adding, multiplying, etc.	I wanted to work in a bank because I was always good at arithmetic.
art	paintings, sculpture, drawings, etc.	If you want to learn about art, visit the national gallery.
assistance	help given to someone	After calling 911 for assistance, we waited for an ambulance.
athletics	track and field events, such as running and jumping	Jenny's very good at athletics, and she's even won some medals.
attention	focus of awareness on something or someone	The teacher found it difficult to get her students' attention.
bacon	smoked or salted meat from a pig	Would you like some bacon with your scrambled eggs?
baggage	bags and suitcases used while travelling	The customs officer at the airport checked all my baggage.
ballet	a style of dancing that tells a story	My dad loved ballet, and he even took us to see Swan Lake.
beauty	the quality that makes people or things beautiful	Many poets have been inspired by the beauty of nature.
beef	meat from a cow	I don't eat beef or pork, but I like fish and seafood.
beer	an alcoholic drink made with malt and hops	It was a good party, but I think we drank too much beer.
biology	the study of plants, animals and other living things	If you study biology, you'll learn how amazing life really is.
blood	the red liquid inside our bodies	Blood carries oxygen from the lungs to all the body's cells.
botany	the study of plants	When I studied botany, we often collected plants from forests.
bread	a common food that's made from wheat or other grains	I sliced a loaf of bread and then made some sandwiches.
business	any money-making venture or activity	Before going into business, ask your father for some advice.
butter	a dairy food that's made from cream	Would you like some butter on your toast?

Uncountable Nouns C-D

C-D	definition	example sentence
carbon	a chemical element that's in all living things (symbol C)	Climate change occurs when there's too much carbon in the air.
cardboard	very thick paper that's used to make boxes	We could get cardboard for our signs by cutting up old boxes.
cash	money in the form of notes and coins	If you need some cash, go to an ATM machine.
chalk	material that's used for writing on blackboards	Don't forget to take some chalk to your class.
chaos	a situation that's out of control	There was chaos after the fire started, with people running in all directions.
cheese	a solid dairy food	Do you want some extra cheese on your pizza?
chess	a popular board game	Do you feel like having a game of chess?
childhood	the period of life when you're a child	For most of my childhood, our family lived in London.
clothing	things you wear, like shirts, socks, etc.	We were poor, but we always had enough food and clothing.
coal	black substance that's dug up and burned	My grandmother used to cook on a stove that burned coal.
coffee	a drink made with ground, roasted seeds	How many cups of coffee do you drink every day?
commerce	the buying and selling of goods and services	Some historians say commerce began about 10,000 years ago.
compassion	strong sympathy for others	The Buddha taught us to feel compassion for all living things.
comprehension	the ability to understand something	Sayoko's comprehension of written English is excellent.
content	the material in a file or on a website	This website's content is great, and so is the design.
corruption	dishonest or illegal activity by public officials	All this corruption has made many politicians very rich.
cotton	a type of cloth made from plant fibres	American farmers used African people as slaves to pick cotton.
courage	the ability to act despite danger or fear	The protesters showed so much courage, knowing they could be shot at any moment.
currency	the type of money used in a country	How much local currency will I need to get a taxi from the airport?
damage	harm caused to something or someone	We couldn't believe how much damage the storm had caused.
dancing	bodily movements made to music	My legs are sore after so much dancing in the club last night.
danger	the possibility of something very bad happening	Before the hunter could shoot, the deer sensed the danger and ran off.
data	statistical or digital information	How much data can your computer's hard drive store?
delight	great happiness or pleasure	We took great delight in watching our kids act in the play.
dessert	sweet food eaten at the end of a meal	Would you like some ice cream for dessert?
dignity	calm and mature self-respect	He accepted his defeat with dignity, and waved to the crowd.
dirt	soil, or anything that makes something dirty	My brother's face was covered in dirt and his hair was a mess.
distribution	a system for getting things to those who want them	Marketing ebooks is difficult, but distribution is easy.
dust	tiny particles in the air or on surfaces	All the furniture in the empty house was covered in dust.

Uncountable Nouns E-F

E-F	definition	example sentence
economics	the study of the production and distribution of goods and services	One of our daughters wants to study economics at university.
education	the systematic teaching of children or adults	To get on in this world, you need a good education.
electricity	the power that runs lights, computers, etc.	Electricity is dangerous, so don't try to fix the wires yourself.
employment	work given to someone for money	She graduated from university two years ago, but she still hasn't found full-time employment.
energy	the power to do things, or the power that makes things work	Using clean energy like wind and solar power is better than burning coal or oil.
engineering	the design and building of roads, machines, etc.	If she likes learning about machines, she should study engineering.
enjoyment	the pleasure you get from something	I never thought I'd get so much enjoyment from reading a book.
entertainment	films, TV shows, etc. that we watch for enjoyment	Television is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment.
envy	the feeling of wanting what someone else has	You should have seen the envy on Harry's face when he saw his neighbour's new car.
equipment	all the things needed to do a job or activity	My gym costs more than hers, but it's got much better equipment.
ethics	the study of the principles of right and wrong	If schools taught ethics as a core subject, the world would be a much better place.
evidence	information used to show that something is true	There's a lot of evidence proving he was there, like fingerprints and DNA.
evolution	gradual change or development over time	Some people still don't believe in evolution from natural selection, despite all the scientific evidence.
failure	lack of success in doing something	Sometimes we learn more from failure than we do from success.
faith	strong belief or trust	I have faith in Mark because he always does what he says he'll do.
fame	being known about or recognized by many people	Lots of people dream of fame and fortune, but very few achieve it.
fiction	books that tell imagined stories	Alan's favourite work of fiction is Lord of the Rings.
flour	powder from grinding grains such as wheat	If you're going shopping, could you get some flour?
flu	an illness that feels like a very bad cold	I've had the flu all week, and I can't stop coughing and sneezing.
food	the things people or animals eat	If you want to live a long and healthy life, eat good food.
freedom	the ability, or the right, to do what you choose to do	If you still don't have freedom, you should be fighting for it!
fruit	foods like apples, oranges, bananas, etc.	Fruit is delicious, and it's also really good for you.
fuel	anything that can be burned for heat or energy	The pump stopped working because it'd run out of fuel.
fun	enjoyment from playful activities	Our kids had lots of fun at the beach today.
furniture	tables, chairs, beds, etc.	My wife always wants to buy more furniture.

Uncountable Nouns G-H

G-H	definition	example sentence
garbage	things that you throw away	Did you remember to take out the garbage?
garlic	a vegetable similar to an onion	People say garlic makes breath smell bad, but I can't smell it.
gas	a household fuel for heating and cooking	We didn't used that much gas last month, did we?
genetics	the study of genes and heredity	People who breed animals usually know a lot about genetics.
glass	the material windows and bottles are made of	Bottles made of glass are better for recycling than plastic ones.
gold	a precious metal (symbol Au)	European invaders stole a lot of gold from South America.
golf	a game played with clubs and small white balls	Why don't we have a game of golf on Sunday afternoon?
gossip	the sharing of stories about other people's private lives	I can't believe how much gossip I heard at Doreen's dinner party.
grammar	the rules of a language	We need activities that make learning grammar more interesting.
grass	a plant that's grown to cover ground in parks and gardens	The grass in the back yard's getting too long, so I'd better cut it.
gratitude	the feeling of being thankful	Ricardo expressed his gratitude to all those who'd helped him.
grief	a feeling of great sadness	Maria was overcome with grief when her sister died.
ground	the surface of the earth	We lay with our backs on the ground and looked at the stars.
guilt	a feeling of shame for doing something wrong	Do politicians feel any guilt when they start a war to boost their popularity?
gymnastics	a sport involving physical exercises	I really enjoyed watching the gymnastics at the Olympics.
hair	the thin strands that grow on your head	Harry's hair was long and blond when he was a teenager, but now it's short and gray.
happiness	the feeling of being joyful or happy	They enjoyed many years of happiness together.
hardware	the solid parts of a computer system	Your hardware is fine, but you need to get some new software.
harm	damage or injury	Luckily the storm didn't do any harm to our fruit tress.
hate	strong dislike of someone or something	Their eyes were full of hate as they beat and kicked their victim.
hatred	strong dislike of someone or something	Why do they feel so much hatred towards gay people?
health	the state of your body and mind	His health improved a lot after he started exercising.
heat	high temperature	The heat from the fire kept us warm all night.
height	how tall something or someone is	My brother and I are around the same height.
help	assistance given to someone in need	How much help did you get with your homework?
homework	schoolwork done at home	I did all my homework myself!
honesty	the quality of being honest, or of telling the truth	Are you speaking with complete honesty about this?
honey	a sweet food found in beehives	Would you like some honey on your toast?
hospitality	welcoming behaviour towards visitors	We were amazed by the hospitality of the people in the village.
housework	cleaning, washing and cooking done at home	Does your husband do much of the housework?
humour	the quality that makes something funny	Even though it was a serious movie, it had moments of humour.
hunger	the feeling you get when your body needs food	By 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I was feeling pangs of hunger.
hydrogen	a gas that can't be seen or smelled (symbol H)	Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water.

Uncountable Nouns I-J

I-J	definition	example sentence
ice	frozen water	Would you like some ice in your drink?
ice cream	a frozen dessert food	If I eat too much ice cream, I start to put on weight.
importance	the degree to which something is important	The research shows the importance of regular exercise.
inflation	rising prices	Inflation has made everything more expensive than before.
information	facts about something or someone	Do you think the information on this website is accurate?
injustice	unfair treatment	Nelson Mandela spent most of his life fighting injustice.
innocence	the fact of not being guilty of a crime	Despite their innocence, many good people were sent to jail.
intelligence	the ability to think about complex ideas	Do you think IQ tests really measure intelligence?
iron	a strong metal (symbol Fe)	In ancient Rome, knives and spear tips were made of iron.
irony	humour in which someone says the opposite of what they really mean	As we stood in the rain, Julie said, with much irony, "Lovely weather, isn't it?"
jam	sweet food made from fruit and spread on bread	Can I have some strawberry jam on my toast, please?
jealousy	a bad feeling experienced if we think someone we love wants someone else	If she even looks at another guy, her boyfriend goes crazy with jealousy.
jelly (British)	a dessert made with gelatine	Mum made some red jelly for dessert.
jelly (USA)	sweet food made from fruit and spread on bread	Can I have one of your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
joy	a feeling of great happiness	When I held our first baby, tears of joy ran down my cheeks.
judo	a martial art that employs throws and holds	Did you know that judo is an Olympic sport now?
juice	any liquid that's squeezed from fruit	Every morning I have a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice.
justice	the fair treatment of people	Those boys who were jailed for a crime they didn't commit are still waiting for justice.

Uncountable Nouns K-L

K-L	definition	example sentence
karate	a martial art that employs kicks and punches	My brother has a black belt in karate, so don't bully me!
kindness	the quality of being kind to other living things	If you speak and act with kindness, everyone will like you.
knowledge	facts and information known by someone	We all need the knowledge and skills that an education provides.
labour	work, especially physical work	Does this price include the cost of labour?
lack	a shortage of something	The lack of English-speaking workers is a problem.
land	an area of ground	How much of this land can be used for farming?
laughter	the act or the sound of laughing	There's always a lot of laughter in Maria's classes.
lava	hot, molten rock	Look at all that lava coming down the side of the volcano!
leather	animal skin used for making clothes, bags, etc.	If you're going to ride a motorbike, wear a leather jacket.
leisure	free time, or things you do in your free time	Her favourite leisure activities are reading and playing tennis.
lightning	flashes of light in the sky during a storm	Did you see all the lightning during the storm last night?
linguistics	the study of language	If you study linguistics, you'll learn all about language and how it works.
literature	novels, short stories, poetry, etc.	English literature was my favourite subject at school.
litter	rubbish dropped in public places	People who leave their litter behind are lazy and selfish.
livestock	animals that are kept on a farm	Are you sure the livestock on this farm is well-treated?
logic	reasoned thought	Can you explain the logic behind your decision?
loneliness	unhappiness caused by being alone	She lives by herself, but she doesn't suffer from loneliness.
love	a very strong feeling of affection	How many different kinds of love can you think of?
luck	good fortune	Kim never seems to have much luck when she gambles.
luggage	bags and suitcases used while travelling	Can I leave my luggage here while I go to the bathroom?

Uncountable Nouns M-N

M-N	definition	example sentence
machinery	several machines, esp. large ones	We'll have to buy a lot of new machinery for the factory.
magic	a mysterious power, or a magician's tricks	You don't really believe in the power of magic, do you?
mail	letters and parcels sent by post	Who collects your mail while you're away?
management	the job of running an organisation or business	Without good management, a company won't last long.
mankind	all the people in the world	He says mankind's biggest challenge is global warming.
marble	a type of stone used for building	Is this floor really made of Italian marble?
mathematics	the study of numbers and shapes	If you want to be an engineer, you'll have to study mathematics.
mayonnaise	a thick white sauce eaten with salads	Do you want some mayonnaise on your salad sandwich?
measles	a type of disease	His body was covered in red spots, so we thought he had measles.
meat	animal or bird flesh eaten as food	Did you buy this meat from our local butcher?
metal	a hard substance, like iron or gold	Bicycle frames are usually made of light-weight metal.
methane	a colourless gas that's used as a fuel	Is it possible to run a car on methane?
milk	the liquid that baby mammals get from their mothers	How many litres of milk do you drink every day?
money	what you earn from work, and then spend or save	I'm trying to save enough money to buy a car.
mud	soft, wet earth	I fell over and got mud all over my clothes.
music	organised sound made for enjoyment	What sort of music do you like?
nature	all living things and the habitats that sustain them	The beauty of nature has inspired many artists and poets.
news	information about recent events	My dad watches the news on TV every night.
nitrogen	one of the gases in our atmosphere (symbol N)	Did you know that you can't see or smell nitrogen?
nonsense	anything that isn't true or sensible	You don't believe all that nonsense about ghosts, do you?
nurture	the care given to a growing person or animal	Parents are responsible for the nurture of their young.
nutrition	food the body needs for health	If we eat for nutrition instead of taste, we'll all be healthier.

Uncountable Nouns O-P

O-P	definition	example sentence
obedience	doing what someone tells you to do	Military commanders expect obedience from their troops.
obesity	the condition of being too fat	Diseases caused by obesity kill millions of people every year.
oil	a dark liquid from under the ground	Saudi Arabia makes a lot of money from selling oil.
oxygen	a chemical element in air and water (symbol O)	When you breathe in, your body gets oxygen from the air.
paper	material used for writing on or wrapping	How many sheets of paper do you need?
passion	a very strong feeling	People on both sides of the debate spoke with passion.
pasta	an Italian food made from flour and water	Spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna are different types of pasta.
patience	the ability to wait without getting angry or upset	After waiting an hour to see a doctor, I ran out of patience and left.
permission	the right to do something you can't normally do	You'll need permission from the boss if you want to leave early.
physics	the scientific study of matter and energy	These new theories in physics are difficult to understand.
poetry	literature in the form of poems and verses	Have you ever read the poetry of Walt Whitman?
pollution	waste products that damage the environment	Most air pollution comes from cars and factories.
poverty	the state of being very poor	Millions of people are still living in poverty.
power	the ability to control people or things	The police have the power to arrest and charge people.
pride	the feeling you have when you, or someone close to you, does something special	We watched with pride as our son was awarded his medal.
production	the process of making or growing things	Rice production has increased this year.
progress	improvement or development	I hope you're making progress in your English.
pronunciation	the sounds made when speaking a language	Your pronunciation of English is excellent.
psychology	the study of the mind	My sister wants to study psychology.
publicity	attention given to something in newspapers, TV, etc.	The royal wedding got a lot of publicity in the media.
punctuation	small marks used when writing, like commas and question marks	Good punctuation will make your writing easier to read.

Uncountable Nouns Q-R

Q	definition	example sentence
quality	the standard of something, or how good it is	Good quality shoes last longer than shoes of poor quality.
quantity	the amount of something, or the number of things	The police found a large quantity of stolen goods in the house.
quartz	a very hard rock	Quartz is often used in high-quality watches and clocks.
racism	the belief that some races of people are better than others	Racism is still a problem in many parts of the world.
rain	water that falls from clouds in the sky	All the farmers in our village are praying for rain.
recreation	the things you do for fun or pleasure	Our students want less homework and more time for recreation.
relaxation	a state of rest or low stress	Meditation is one of the best techniques for relaxation.
reliability	the quality of being unlikely to fail	The main selling points for this car are its safety and reliability.
research	work done to find or discover knowledge	Before writing his book, he put a lot of time into research.
respect	admiration for someone	Children in Asia have a lot of respect for their teachers.
revenge	acts done to punish someone who has hurt you	The kids got together and planned their revenge on the bully.
rice	a type of grain	How much rice do you think we need to cook for the stir-fry?
room	the space needed for something	Do you think there's enough room for a piano in here?
rubbish	things you don't need and throw away	Put any rubbish in that bin over there.
rum	a type of alcoholic drink	Pirates like Blackbeard loved to drink rum.

Uncountable Nouns: S

S	definition	example sentence
safety	the lack of danger	My grandma always worries about safety in airplanes.
salad	mix of raw vegetables like lettuce, tomato, etc.	Would you like some salad with your meal?
salt	a white substance often added to food	Could you pass the salt and pepper, please?
sand	material found at beaches and in the desert	We went to the beach and built a castle out of sand.
satire	humour used to criticize someone or something	A lot of political cartoonists use satire in their work.
scenery	views of mountains, lakes, valleys, etc.	The scenery in the mountains was magnificent.
seafood	food from the sea, like fish, crabs, etc.	My wife loves seafood, especially lobster and prawns.
seaside	an area near the sea	Every year we spend our vacation at the seaside.
shame	the bad feeling you get after doing something wrong	I'll never forget the shame I felt when I was caught stealing.
shopping	the activity of going to shops and buying things	Can't you think of anything better to do in your free time than shopping?
silence	complete quiet, with no sound at all	After a moment of silence, we started talking again.
sleep	a natural state of unconsciousness and rest	All animals need periods of sleep, even fish and frogs.
smoke	clouds that rise from something that's burning	We could see the smoke, so we knew there was a fire.
smoking	the act of enjoying cigarettes, pipes, cigars, etc.	Some politicians want to ban smoking in all public places.
snow	soft flakes that fall from the sky in cold weather	Does it ever snow in Brazil, or is it too hot?
soap	a substance that makes cleaning easier	There's a new bar of soap in the cupboard in the bathroom.
software	computer programs and operating systems	We used to buy software on discs, but now we download it.
soil	dirt or earth in which plants can grow	The soil would be healthier if we added manure and compost to it.
sorrow	a feeling of great sadness	Can you imagine how much sorrow his mother must have felt?
soup	a liquid food usually served in a bowl	There's a tin of tomato soup in the cupboard if you want it.
speed	how fast something moves	I wonder what the new Ferrari's top speed is.
spelling	forming written words with letters	If you read more books, your spelling will improve.
sport	competitive activities like football, golf, tennis, etc.	Do you think Uncle Bill watches too much sport on TV?
steam	hot gas that rises from boiling water	Trains and ships used to be powered by steam.
strength	physical power	Lifting that heavy sofa took all my strength.
stuff	undefined material or things	What's this brown stuff on the bottom of my shoe?
stupidity	lack of thought or intelligence	We're all capable of stupidity from time to time.
success	the achievement of a goal	Success is great, but you can learn a lot from failure too.
sugar	sweet crystals put in tea and coffee	How many teaspoons of sugar would you like in your tea?
sunshine	light from the sun	We need a few minutes of sunshine every day to stay healthy.
symmetry	perfect balance in design or form	The more symmetry there is in a face, the more beautiful it is.

Uncountable Nouns T-V

T	definition	example sentence
tea	a drink made by adding boiling water to dried plant parts	Would you like a cup of peppermint tea?
tennis	game played on a court with racquets and balls	My grandma is too old for tennis, but she still plays golf.
thirst	the feeling you get when your body needs water	No matter how bad your thirst gets, don't drink sea water!
thunder	a loud sound heard during a storm	There was a flash of lightning, and then a crack of thunder.
timber	wood for building and for making furniture	The frame is made of timber, but the walls are made of brick.
time	duration as measured by clocks	How much time do you spend at your computer every day?
toast	slices of bread that have been cooked in a toaster	Would you prefer jam or honey on your toast?
tolerance	the ability to accept beliefs and behaviour that differ from our own	Parents and teachers should encourage tolerance among children.
trade	the buying and selling of goods and services	How much is our trade with African countries worth?
traffic	all the cars and other vehicles using a road	The traffic on Main Street is always bad in the morning.
transportation	the moving of goods and people from place to place	Don't forget the cost of transportation from the airport.
travel	going to other places, esp. distant places	How much travel will the job require?
trust	the belief that someone is honest	A company that betrays a customer's trust won't last long.
U	definition	example sentence
understanding	knowledge about something or someone	The classes will improve your understanding of grammar.
underwear	clothing worn under other clothes	Don't forget to take plenty of underwear on the trip.
unemployment	the lack of paid work	Unemployment is a serious problem in many countries.
unity	the state of forming one unit	College initiation rituals are meant to create unity in the group.
usage	how, or how much, something is used	Internet usage in China has increased a lot this year.
V	definition	example sentence
validity	the state of being acceptable, legally or logically	The officials checked the validity of everyone's passport.
veal	meat from a calf	After petting a young calf, my son said he wouldn't eat veal any more.
vegetation	plants and trees	Elephants can eat many different kinds of vegetation.
vegetarianism	the practice of only eating plant-based foods	My doctor explained all the health benefits of vegetarianism.
vengeance	the act of punishing somebody who has hurt you	These two families have been carrying out acts of vengeance on each other for fifty years.
violence	actions meant to hurt or kill	Both families want to end the violence, but they don't know how to.
vision	the ability to see	The injury to his eye limited his vision.
vitality	energy and enthusiasm	In their performance, all the dancers showed great vitality.

Uncountable Nouns W-Z

W	definition	example sentence
warmth	the state, or the feeling, of mild heat	We lay on the sand feeling the warmth of the sun on our bodies.
water	a clear liquid that we have to drink	Is the water here safe to drink?
wealth	money and other valuable things	His only goal in life was to accumulate more and more wealth.
weather	local conditions, incl. temperature and rainfall	The weather here is always beautiful in spring.
weight	how heavy a person or an object is	If I eat too much, I'll start putting on weight.
welfare	the health and well-being of people or animals	A government's main responsibility is the welfare of its people.
wheat	a grain that's used for making bread	Every year we export millions of tons of wheat.
whiskey	a strong alcoholic drink	How many glasses of whiskey did you drink?
width	the distance from one side to the other	The pool's length is 100 metres, and the width is 20 metres.
wildlife	animals and other living things in their natural habitats	Do you think shooting wildlife should be called a sport?
wine	an alcoholic drink made from grapes	Shall we have a bottle of wine with our meal?
wisdom	knowledge of life that's gained from experience	There was a lot of wisdom in what our grandmother said.
wood	the hard material in trees	Is Jenny's new dining table made of wood?
wool	thick hair that grows on sheep	How much wool grows on a sheep in one year?
work	a job done for money, or any productive activity	Try to find work doing something you love doing.
yeast	a fungus used to make bread, wine and beer	If you don't add yeast to the dough, the bread won't rise.
yoga	a system of techniques for body and mind control	Yoga has been practised in India for thousands of years.
youth	the time, or the state, of being young	Is it better to spend one's youth travelling or studying?
zinc	a chemical element (symbol Zn)	Zinc is an important trace element, especially for men.
zoology	the scientific study of animals	Zoology is one of the most interesting branches of biology.