Common Adjective Suffixes in English

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Have you ever wondered how to change an adjective into a noun or an adverb? The answer lies in the use of adjective suffixes. These suffixes are added to the end of an adjective to change its meaning or function. In this article, we will explore the most common adjective suffixes and their uses.

Adjective Suffixes

Adjective suffixes are word endings that can be added to a base word to change its meaning and create a new adjective. In this section, we will explore the meaning and usage of adjective suffixes and provide some common examples.

Meaning and Usage

Adjective suffixes are used to modify the meaning of a base word and create a new adjective. They can indicate qualities such as size, color, shape, and more. For example, the suffix “-ful” can be added to the base word “beauty” to create the adjective “beautiful”, which indicates the quality of being full of beauty.

Adjective suffixes can also be used to indicate the degree or intensity of a quality. For example, the suffix “-est” can be added to the base word “fast” to create the adjective “fastest”, which indicates the highest degree of speed.

Common Examples

Here are some common adjective suffixes and their meanings:

Suffix	Meaning
-able/-ible	capable of
-ful	full of
-ic	having the characteristics of
-ish	somewhat
-less	without
-ous	having the qualities of
-y	characterized by

Some common examples of adjectives with suffixes include:

• Comfortable (able to provide comfort)
• Colorful (full of color)
• Metallic (having the characteristics of metal)
• Childish (somewhat like a child)
• Endless (without end)
• Courageous (having the qualities of courage)
• Rainy (characterized by rain)

Types of Adjective Suffixes

Adjective suffixes are added to the end of a base word to create a new word with a different meaning. There are different types of adjective suffixes, each with its own function and meaning.

Descriptive Suffixes

Descriptive suffixes are used to add meaning to a base word, describing its quality or characteristic. Some common descriptive suffixes include “-able,” “-ful,” “-ish,” “-less,” “-ous,” and “-y.” For example, “comfortable” describes something that provides comfort, “playful” describes someone who likes to play, and “famous” describes someone who is well-known.

Comparative Suffixes

Comparative suffixes are used to compare two things. These suffixes indicate that one thing has more or less of a quality than the other. Some common comparative suffixes include “-er,” “-ier,” “-ish,” and “-less.” For example, “taller” means more tall, “prettier” means more pretty, and “less” means not as much.

Superlative Suffixes

Superlative suffixes are used to compare three or more things. These suffixes indicate that one thing has the most or least of a quality. Some common superlative suffixes include “-est,” “-iest,” “-ish,” and “-less.” For example, “tallest” means the most tall, “prettiest” means the most pretty, and “least” means the smallest amount.

Understanding the different types of adjective suffixes can help us to better understand the meaning of words and to communicate more effectively.

Common Adjective Suffixes in English

-al, -ial, -ical: relating to, having the quality of

• accidental, educational, brutal, historical, regional, social, universal, personal…

-able, -ible: capable or worthy of, tending to

• flammable, discernible, culpable…

-an, -ian: one who is or does, related to

• agrarian, simian…

-ary: relating to quality or place

• customary, momentary, cautionary, dietary…

-full: full of, tending or liable to

• beautiful, wonderful, awful, skillful, successful…

-ic: pertaining or relating to

• athletic, historical, scenic, fantastic…

-ive: performing or tending toward

• cooperative, supportive, sensitive…

-ish: origin, nature

• foolish, childish, selfish, sheepish, pinkish…

-less: without, lacking, unable to act

• powerless, friendless, worthless, useless, homeless…

-like: like

• lifelike, ladylike, warlike, childlike, birdlike…

-y: characterized by, tending to

• rainy, funny, dirty, messy, dirty…

-ous, -ose: full of, relating to

• poisonous, dangerous, nervous, mysterious, victorious, bellicose…

-ant, -ent: performing or being

• important, incessant, independent…

-ile: tending to, capable of

• futile, senile, fragile…

…

Common Adjective Suffixes in English | Images

Expanding Vocabulary with Adjective Suffixes

Adjective suffixes are a great way to expand our vocabulary and create new words. By adding a suffix to a base adjective, we can change the meaning of the word and create a new word altogether. Here are some common adjective suffixes and their meanings:

• -able/-ible: capable of being; suitable for. Example: readable, edible.
• -al: pertaining to. Example: musical, historical.
• -ful: full of. Example: joyful, helpful.
• -ic: pertaining to; having the characteristics of. Example: heroic, poetic.
• -ish: somewhat; resembling. Example: reddish, childish.
• -less: without; not having. Example: homeless, fearless.
• -ous/-ious: having; full of. Example: dangerous, curious.

Using these suffixes, we can create a variety of new words that help us better express ourselves and communicate more effectively. For example, adding the suffix -able to the base adjective “read” creates the new word “readable,” which means capable of being read. Similarly, adding the suffix -ful to the base adjective “joy” creates the new word “joyful,” which means full of joy.

It’s important to note that not all base adjectives can be combined with every suffix. For example, adding the suffix -ous to the base adjective “happy” would result in the non-existent word “happious.” Therefore, it’s important to understand the meanings and limitations of each suffix before using them.