openness
openness — noun
1. a way of speaking or behaving that shows your real thoughts and feelings instead
a way of speaking or behaving that shows your real thoughts and feelings instead of keeping them hidden
During the meeting, Priya thanked Leo for his openness about the budget problems.
openness about + topic
Mina's openness with the children helped them ask hard questions.
openness with + people
The doctor spoke with openness when the test results were bad.
After the mistake, Carlos earned trust through his openness and quick apology.
Openness about money made the family dinner less tense.
- honesty
is broader and can refer to truthfulness in general, not only sharing feelings
- frankness
suggests speaking more directly and sometimes more bluntly
- candor
is more formal and common in public or professional contexts
- transparency
often describes clear sharing of information by groups or institutions
- secrecy
stresses keeping facts or feelings hidden
- reserve
suggests holding back and not saying much
- evasiveness
suggests avoiding clear answers
文法句型
openness about something
openness with someone
show openness
用法筆記
Often followed by about or with when you name the subject or the people involved. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about accepting other people or ideas rather than revealing your own thoughts.
常見錯誤
2. willingness to listen to new views and to accept people or ways of living that a
willingness to listen to new views and to accept people or ways of living that are not like your own
The school praised Mei's openness to students from many backgrounds.
openness to + people
His openness to new ideas changed the way the team planned.
openness to + ideas
Years abroad gave Hana more openness toward unfamiliar customs.
Without openness, the debate turned into two angry speeches.
The museum wants staff to show openness when visitors ask difficult questions.
- open-mindedness
is very close, but it more clearly emphasizes thinking without fixed prejudice
- receptiveness
is more formal and often used for ideas, advice, or criticism
- tolerance
focuses more on allowing difference, not always on actively listening
- willingness
is broader and does not by itself suggest different people or ideas
- prejudice
suggests unfair negative ideas about people before knowing them
- resistance
focuses on pushing against change or outside ideas
- narrow-mindedness
stresses an unwillingness to consider other views
文法句型
openness to something
openness toward someone
show openness to change
用法筆記
Usually followed by to or toward. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about telling the truth openly, and from sense 3, which describes physical space rather than attitude.
常見錯誤
3. the state of having little in the way, so light, air, or people can move through
the state of having little in the way, so light, air, or people can move through easily
The park's openness lets children run from the gate to the pond.
space allows free movement
Visitors loved the openness of the glass hall and wide stairs.
the openness of + place
The room felt cooler because its openness allowed air to move.
From the hill, we noticed the openness of the flat fields.
The old market lost its openness after new walls went up.
- spaciousness
focuses more on size, while openness also suggests few barriers
- airiness
stresses a light, fresh feeling in a room or building
- exposure
can suggest being uncovered, but it often has a less positive feeling
- enclosure
suggests something shut in by walls or fences
- confinement
focuses on limited movement or space
- blockage
stresses something physically getting in the way
文法句型
the openness of a space
a sense of openness
lose openness
用法筆記
Common with nouns for rooms, buildings, parks, and landscapes. Unlike sense 2, it does not describe attitude; it describes a place with few barriers or coverings.