NESS' NESS is a four-letter noun-forming ending that is commonly used in English. It is derived from the Old English suffix '-NESS, ' which is used to form abstract nouns from adjectives. For example, the adjective 'HAPPY' can be turned into the noun 'HAPPINESS' by adding the suffix '-NESS.' This suffix is also used to form nouns from verbs, such as 'DARKNESS' from 'DARKEN.' NESS is a versatile suffix that can be used to create many different nouns.