Adjective suffixes in English
Noun suffixes in English → http://akarusan.blog101.fc2.com/blog-entry-132.html
List of adjective suffixes
-cal, -al (adjective)
Meaning:
: (forming adjectives) relating to; of the kind of
: from Latin words
: from Greek words
: from English nouns
Example:
annual, basal, accidental, historical, comical, tidal, regional, natural, nominal, focal, manual, gradual, sensual, logical, beneficial, actual, chemical, eternal, fetal, ideal, revival, paternal, musical, rhythmical
-ary, -ory (adjective)
Meaning:
: of, relating to, connected with or characterized by
: serving for, producing, or maintaining
Example:
primary, budgetary, ordinary, temporary, revolutionary, military, capillary, advocatory, binary, traditionary, distortionary, imaginary
-ful (adjective)
Meaning:
: full of
: characterized by
: having the qualities of
: tending, given, or liable to
Example:
beautiful, frightful, helpful, prideful, peaceful, fanciful, sorrowful, watchful, harmful, changeful, hopeful,useful, forgetful, awful, powerful, sinful, successful, painful, neglectful
-ic, -ac, (adjective)
Meaning:
: having the character or form of : being : consisting of
: of or relating to
: related to, derived from, or containing
: in the manner of : like that of : characteristic of
: associated or dealing with : utilizing
: characterized by : exhibiting : affected with
: caused by
: tending to produce
: having a valence relatively higher than in compounds or ions named with an adjective ending in -ous
Example:
alcoholic, electronic, allergic, Islamic, Arabic, Catholic, Buddhistic, mystic, genic, ethnic, plastic, egoistic, ironic, cosmic, chronic, amnesiac
-id, -oid (adjecitve)
Meaning:
: of or pertaining to; appended to various foreign words to make an English adjective form.
Often added to words of Greek, sometimes Latin, origin.
: (-oid) Of similar form to, but not the same as. Having the likeness of.
Example:
fluid, humid, candid, timid, tepid, solid, horrid, humanoid, android, valid, stupid, acid, rigid, rabid, rapid, vivid, lucid, liquid
-ine (adjective)
Meaning:
: (forming adjectives) belonging to; resembling in nature
: forming adjectives from taxonomic names
: forming adjectives from the names of minerals, plants, etc.
Example:
feminine, masculine, canine, bovine, serpentine, feline, divine
-ate
Meaning:
: (in adjectives) having the specified thing
: (in adjectives) characterized by the specified thing
: (in adjectives) resembling the specified thing
Example:
separate, coordinate, associate, duplicate, segregate, delicate, indelicate, accurate, intermediate, private
-en, -n (adjective)
Meaning:
suffix forming past participles of strong verbs:
: as a regular inflection
: as an adjective with a restricted adjectival sense (ex. sunken ship, etc.)
(See inflectional suffixes (-en) → http://akarusan.blog101.fc2.com/blog-entry-132.html)
suffix (also -n) forming adjectives from nouns
: made or consisting of
: resembling
Example:
spoken (adj.), sworn (adj.), mistaken (adj.), forbidden (adj.), torn (adj.), ashen, golden, silvern, bronzen, wheaten, earthen, woolen, oaken, wooden, brazen, leaden, silken
-escent, -ent, -ant
Meaning:
: forming adjectives denoting a developing state or action: becoming, beginning to be
: (forming adjectives) denoting attribution of an action or state
: resembling
Example:
adolescent, absent, prevalent, complacent, different, excellent, independent, efficient, present, dependent, convenient, ardent, eloquent, arrogant, expectant, malevolent, malignant, significant, vacant, important, elegant, brilliant
-ese
Meaning:
: of, relating to, or originating in (a certain place or country)
Example:
Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Parmese, Portuguese, genovese
-fic
Meaning:
: (forming adjectives) producing; making ; causing
Example:
prolific, scientific, specific, terrific, horrific
-ish
Meaning:
: of, relating to, or being ―chiefly in adjectives indicating nationality or ethnic group
: characteristic of
: inclined or liable to
: having a touch or trace of : somewhat
: having the approximate age of
Example:
Finnish, Turkish, Scottish, British, Irish, English, Spanish, Danish, Swedish, whitish, yellowish, greenish, reddish, boyish, girlish, childish, doltish, foolish, coldish, sixish (denoting an approximate age or time)
-ive
Meaning:
: (forming adjectives, also nouns derived from them) tending to; having the nature of
Example:
amusive, native, positive, passive, active, aggressive, defensive, corrosive, palliative, affirmative, negative, sensitive, quantitative, qualitative, massive, causative, creative, narrative, pensive, sedative, vindictive, conclusive, constructive, corrective, derivative, diminutive
-less
Meaning:
: (from nouns) not having; without; free from
: (from verbs) not affected by or not carrying out the action of the verb
Example:
flavorless, skinless, childless, witless, restless, ruthless, worthless, mindless, careless, endless, ceaseless, useless
-y, -ly
Meaning:
: having the qualities of
: recurring at intervals of
: (from verbs) inclined to; apt to
Example:
brotherly, silky, monthly, yearly, weekly, daily, hourly, quarterly, shinny, messy, milky, tinny, sticky, bossy, sleepy, sleazy, dandy, stately
-ous, -ious
Meaning:
: full of : abounding in : having : possessing the qualities of
: having a valence lower than in compounds or ions named with an adjective ending in -ic
Example:
joyous, courageous, vicious, dangerous, mountainous, ambitious, murderous, marvelous, poisonous, humorous, hilarious, notorious, nutritious, pompous, continuous, previous, nervous, delicious
-esque
Meaning:
: (forming adjectives) in the style of; resembling
Example:
arabesque, picturesque, statuesque, grotesque, sculpturesque, Romanesque
-an
Meaning:
: of or belonging to
: characteristic of
Example:
American, European, Mexican, Floridan, Columbian, Russian, African, Asian, Arabian, Australian, German, Indian, Republican, Christian, Roman, veteran
-ern
Meaning:
: (forming adjective) direction
: having to do with, or having the nature or character of, and pertaining to.
Example:
eastern, western, northern, southern, modern, northwestern, southeastern
-ar
Meaning:
: of the kind specified; relating to
Example:
lunar, molecular, familiar, muscular, spectacular, oracular, linear, regular, irregular, clear, nuclear, ocular, popular, polar, solar, vulgar
-ible, -able
Meaning:
: able to be : audible
: suitable for being
: causing : terrible
: having the quality to
Example:
liable, reliable, capable, incredible, terrible, visible, invisible, movable, fashionable, eatable, seasonable, lovable, reasonable, possible, impossible, impressible, reducible, convertible, suitable, horrible, audible, defensible, responsible, irresponsible
-ile
Meaning:
: tending to or capable of
Example:
contractile, servile, juvenile, fragile, mobile, tactile, facile, votatile
-most (adjective)
Meaning:
: forming superlative adjectives and adverbs from prepositions and other words indicating relative position
Example:
almost, utmost, topmost, rearmost, inmost, foremost, uppermost, bottommost, easternmost, furthermost, leftmost, hindmost, outermost
-some
Meaning:
: characterized by a (specified) thing, quality, state, or action
Example:
awesome, burdensome, cuddlesome, troublesome, lonesome, twosome, loathsome, wholesome, tiresome, handsome, cumbersome, fearsome, irksome
-ways (adjective)
Meaning:
towards, in the direction towards.
Example:
sideways, lengthways, longways
-wise (adjective)
Meaning:
: of manner or respect
Example:
clockwise, lengthwise
More suffixes → http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_suffixes