# retheness

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The character, state, or condition of being rethe; fierceness; wildness; roughness; harshness; sternness; cruelty.

## Etymology
From Middle English rethnes, from Old English rēþnes (“fierceness, rage, cruelty, severity, zeal, savageness, ferocity, harshness, storminess”), equivalent to rethe + -ness. Cognate with Scots rethnas (“retheness”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/retheness