Adjectives

THE PRODUCTIVE ADJECTIVE-FORMING SUFFIXES

SUFFIX/PREFIX

MEANING

EXAMPLES

-able/-ible

1. that you can do something to;

2. having a particular quality or condition.

usable, readable, washable, loveable, unbreakable; intelligible, responsible, comfortable, knowledgeable (=knowing a lot), visible.

-ful

1. full of something;

2. having the quality of something or causing something.

eventful, colourful;

useful, deceitful, restful, painful

-less

1. without something;

2. not doing or using something;

3. not possible to treat or affect in a particular way.

colourless, powerless, childless, tasteless;

careless, harmless, useless;

countless, tireless

-like

used after a noun to say that something is similar to or typical of the noun.

jelly-like, childlike, ladylike, businesslike.

THE LESS PRODUCTIVE SUFFIXES

-ish

1. of a particular space;

2. typical of or like a particular type of person;

3. to show disapproval;

4. equal to the meaning “rather”, “quite” (used after the adjectival root-stem);

5. equal to the meaning “approximately” (after the numeral root-stem).

Spanish, British, Turkish;

foolish, childish, snobbish;

selfish;

youngish, tallish, reddish; greyish, yellowish

eightish (=at about 8 o’clock), fortyish (=about 40 years old).

-ant/-ent

1. describes something that does something;

2. describes something that has a particular quality.

expectant, pleasant, confidant,

consequent, current, consistent.

-ous

describes something that has a particular quality

dangerous, spacious, curious, obvious, industrious, infectious.

-some

Tending to behave in a particular way, or having a particular quality

troublesome, bothersome, quarrelsome.

-en

made of a particular material or substance

golden, wooden, woolen, wooden, silken.

-an/-ian/-ean

describes someone or something of, from, or connected with a particular thing, place, or person.

suburban, American, Italian, Austrian, Caucasian, Jamesian.

-y

1. full of something or covered with something;

2. having a quality or feeling, or tending to do something;

3. like or typical of something;

4. fond of or interested in something.

sugary, dirty, hairy;

messy, curly, easy;

wintry, horsy, watery, snowy, rainy;

horsy.

-ic

-ical

1. of, like, or related to a particular thing.

Another form of suffix -ic

photographic, alcoholic, Byronic, historic, economic;

grammatical, hysterical, musical, historical, economical.

-ive

-ative

doing something or having ability to do something;

liking something or tending to do something or show a particular quality.

communicative, active, explosive, derivative, adoptive.

Talkative, argumentative, imaginative.

-ate

-ite

full of showing a particular quality.

Relating to a particular set of religious or political ideas or with the ideas of a particular person

affectionate, delicate, animate, accurate;

definite, composite

-ory/ary

describes something that does a particular thing

compulsory, consolatory, preparatory; customary, stationary, sanitary

-ing

forms the present participle of verbs

surprising, perplexing

-ed

forms the regular past tense and past participle of verbs;

having a particular thing

Barbed

a bearded man (=a man with a beard), a kind-hearted woman, beaded

-ly

1. happening at regular periods of time

2. like a particular thing in manner, nature, or appearance

monthly (=once every month), hourly (=done every hour);

friendly, womanly, queenly, motherly (= showing the love, kindness etc of a mother)

THE ADJECTIVE-FORMING PREFIXES

pre-

1. before someone or something;

2. in preparation

prewar, preteen, preterm;

prearranged

pro-

supporting or approving of something

pro-American, pro-choice

ante-

before someone or something;

antedate (=earlier than something), antenatal (=before birth)

un-

used to show a negative, a lack, or an opposite

unfair, unhappy, unusual, unpredictable

in-

the opposite or lack of something [= not]

insensitive, inanimate

im-

the form used for in- before b, m, or p

impossible, immoral, immobilize

il-

the form used for in- before l

illiterate, illogical

dis-

shows an opposite or negative

dishonest, disinterested

a-

1. in a particular condition or way;

2. not or without

aloud, alive;

amoral, atypical