Moodinesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tendency to exhibit unpredictable changes in emotional states or feelings
2. the quality of being subject to frequent emotional swings or irritability
3. an inclination to experience variations in mood that can affect interactions with others

Etymology: "Moodinesses" is simply the plural of "moodiness," so the story belongs to its singular. That noun has two possible routes into modern English. It may be inherited from Middle English "modinesse," meaning "pride," which descended from Old English "mōdiġnes," where "mōd" meant "mind, spirit, courage" and was also the root of the Old English adjective "mōdig." Alternatively, it may have been formed afresh in English by adding the suffix "-ness" to "moody." The surprise lies in that older meaning. Today "moody" suggests sulkiness or shifting temper, but the Old English ancestor concerned the mind and spirit, and Middle English "modinesse" leaned toward pride or high-spirited arrogance. The sense of changeable emotional states came later, so the modern noun has drifted a long way from its earliest roots.

Synonyms: temperamentality, irritability, sullenness

Antonyms: cheerfulness, happiness, good mood