soothfastness means truth; honesty; veracity.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, soothfastness ranks #4,576 of 12,955 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #5,010 of 12,956 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #5,651 of 12,955 for Most Vivid Words, #7,084 of 12,955 for Most Incisive Words.
Why “soothfastness” is a great word
Soothfastness is the quality of being firmly and inherently grounded in truth. Its etymology, from Middle English *sothfastness*, and earlier from Old English *sōþfæstnes*, combines *sōþ* (truth) and *fæst* (firm, fixed) with the suffix *-ness*. Unlike veracity, which focuses on habitual truth-telling, or candor, which emphasizes frankness in expression, soothfastness is the bedrock character from which truthfulness springs. It is the unwavering plumb line in a builder's hand, the steady flame of a lamp in a drafty hall, the unyielding grain in a seasoned timber—a silent covenant with the real, held fast against all erosion.
Etymology
From Middle English sothfastness, from Old English sōþfæstnes, equivalent to soothfast + -ness.
noun
- truth; honesty; veracity
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