Adjective Suffixes in English




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