Suffix

Meanings

-able

able to be

-ac

pertaining to

-acity (-ocity)

quality of

-ade

act, action or process, product

-age

action or process

-aholic (-oholic)one with an obsession for

-al

relating to

-algia

pain

-an (-ian)

relating to, belonging to

-ance

state or quality of

-ant

a person who
inclined to, tending to

-ar

of or relating to, being

a person who

-ard

a person who does an action

-arian

a person who

-arium (orium) a place for

-ary

of or relating to

-ate

state or quality of (adj.)

makes the word a verb (different
pronunciation)

-ation

action or process

-ative

tending to (adj.)

-cide

act of killing

Sample Words and

Definitions
excitable, portable,
preventable
cardiac,
hemophiliac,
maniac
perspicacity,
sagacity, velocity
blockade,
cavalcade,
promenade,
passage,
pilgrimage, voyage
workaholic,
shopaholic,
alcoholic
bacterial, theatrical,
natural
neuralgia,
nostalgia,
Italian, urban,
African
brilliance, defiance,
annoyance
applicant,
immigrant, servant
brilliant, defiant,
vigilant
lunar, molecular,
solar
beggar, burglar, liar
coward, sluggard,
wizard
disciplinarian,
vegetarian,
librarian
terrarium,
aquarium, solarium
literary, military,
budgetary
affectionate,
desolate, obstinate
activate, evaporate,
medicate
creation, narration,
emancipation
creative,
preservative,
talkative
homicide, suicide,

Suffix

Meanings

-cracy

rule, government, power

-crat

someone who has power

-cule

diminutive (making something small)

-cy

state, condition or quality

-cycle

circle, wheel

-dom

condition of, state, realm

-dox

belief, praise

-ectomy

surgical removal of

-ed

past tense

-ee

receiver, performer

-eer

associated with/engaged in

-emia

blood condition

-en

makes the word a verb

-ence

state or condition, action

-ency

condition or quality

-ent

inclined to performing/causing, or one who

performs/causes

-er

more
action or process
a person who does an action

-ern

state or quality of

-escence

state or process

-ese

relating to a place

-esque

in the style of

Sample Words and

Definitions
genocide
bureaucracy,
aristocracy,
theocracy
aristocrat,
bureaucrat,
technocrat
molecule, ridicule,
efficiency, privacy,
belligerency
bicycle, recycle,
tricycle
boredom, freedom,
wisdom
orthodox, paradox
appendectomy,
hysterectomy
called, hammered,
laughed
nominee,
employee, devotee
engineer, volunteer
anemia,
hypoglycemia,
leukemia
awaken, fasten,
strengthen
absence,
dependence,
negligence
clemency,
dependency,
efficiency
competent,
correspondent,
absorbent
bigger, faster,
happier
flutter, ponder,
stutter
announcer, barber,
teacher
eastern, northern,
western
adolescence,
convalescence
Chinese,
Congolese,
Vietnamese
Kafkaesque,

Suffix

Meanings

-ess

female

-est

most

-etic

relating to (makes the word an adj.)

-ette

diminutive (makes something smaller)

-ful

full of

-fy

make, cause (makes the word a verb)

-gam/gamy

marriage, union

-gon/gonic

angle

-hood

state, condition, or quality

-ial

relating to

-ian

relating to

-iasis

diseased condition

-iatric

healing practice

-ible

able to be

-ic/ical

relating to, characterized by

-ile

relating to, capable of

-ily

in what manner

-ine

relating to

-ing

materials
action or process

-ion

action or process

-ious

having the qualities of, full of

-ish

relating to, characteristic

Sample Words and

Definitions
grotesque,
burlesque
actress, heiress,
lioness
funniest, hottest,
silliest
athletic, energetic,
poetic
cigarette, diskette,
kitchenette
helpful, thankful,
cheerful
amplify, falsify,
terrify
monogam,
polygamy
hexagon,
polygonic,
pentagon
childhood,
neighborhood,
motherhood
celestial, editorial,
martial
Martian, utopian,
pediatrician
elephantiasis,
psoriasis
pediatric,
psychiatric,
audible, plausible,
legible
analytic/al,
comic/al, organic
agile, docile,
volatile
sloppily, steadily,
zanily
canine, feminine,
masculine
bedding, frosting,
roofing
dancing, seeing,
writing
celebration,
completion,
navigation
ambitious,
cautious, gracious
apish, brutish,

Suffix

Meanings

-ism

state or quality

-ist

a person, one who does an action

-ite

resident of, follower, product of

-itis

inflammation, preoccupation

-ity

state, condition, or quality

-ive

inclined to; quality of; that which

-ization

act or process of making

-ize

cause, treat, become

-less

without

-let

version of

-like

resembling, characteristic

-ling

younger or inferior

-loger/logist

one who does

-log

speech

-ly

in what manner

-ment

action, result

-ness

state or quality (makes a noun)

-oid

resembling

-ology

study of, science of

-oma

tumor, swelling

-onym

name, word

-opia

eye defect

Sample Words and

Definitions
childish
altruism,
despotism, heroism
artist, linguist,
pianist
suburbanite,
luddite, dynamite
appendicitis,
tonsillitis,
frontrunneritis
abnormality,
civility, necessity
attractive,
expensive,
repulsive
colonization,
fertilization,
modernization
antagonize,
authorize,
popularize
fearless, helpless,
homeless
booklet, droplet,
inlet
childlike, homelike,
lifelike
duckling, underling
astrologer,
cardiologist,
chronologer
dialog, monolog,
badly,
courageously,
happily
movement,
placement,
shipment
kindness, shyness,
weakness
humanoid, tabloid,
hemorrhoid
anthropology,
archaeology,
biology
carcinoma,
osteoma, hematoma
synonym, antonym,
homonym
myopia, nyctalopia,

Suffix

Meanings

-opsy

examination

-or

a person who

-ory

relating to

-osis

process, diseased condition

-ostomy/otomy surgical
-ous

full of

-path

one who engages in

-pathy

feeling, diseased

-phile

one who loves

-phobia

abnormal fear of

-phone

sound

-phyte

plant, to grow

-plegia

paralysis

-plegic

one who is paralyzed

-pnea

air, spirit

-scopy/scope

visual exam

-scribe/script

to write

-sect

to cut

-ship

state or condition of, skill of

Sample Words and

Definitions
hyperopia
biopsy, autopsy,
necropsy
inventor, legislator,
translator
armory, dormitory,
laboratory
diagnosis,
prognosis, neurosis,
psychosis
colostomy,
lobotomy,
craniotomy
hazardous,
humorous,
wondrous
homeopath,
naturopath,
psychopath
sympathy, apathy,
neuropathy
bibliophile,
audiophile,
pyrophile
acrophobia,
claustrophobia,
xenophobia
homophone,
telephone,
microphone
zoophyte,
cryptophyte,
epiphyte
paraplegia,
quadriplegia,
hemiplegia
paraplegic,
technoplegic,
quadriplegic
apnea, hyperpnea,
orthopnea
arthroscopy,
gastroscopy,
microscope
transcript, describe,
manuscript
dissect, insect,
bisect
authorship,
citizenship,

Suffix

Meanings

-sion

state or quality

-some

characterized by, group of

-sophy/sophic wisdom, knowledge

-th

state or quality

-tion

state or quality

-tome/tomy

to cut

-trophy

nourishment, growth

-tude

state, condition or quality

-ty

state, condition or quality

-ular

relating to or resembling

-uous

state or quality of

-ure

action, condition

-ward

specifies direction

-ware

things of the same type or material

-wise

in what manner of direction

-y

made up of, characterized

Sample Words and

Definitions
friendship
confusion,
depression, tension
cumbersome,
quarrelsome,
foursome
philosophy,
theosophy,
anthroposophic
depth, length,
strength
attention, caution,
fascination
hysterectomy,
epitome,
tonsillotome
atrophy,
hypertrophy,
dystrophy
fortitude, gratitude,
magnitude
ability, honesty,
loyalty
cellular, circular,
muscular
arduous,
tumultuous,
virtuous
closure, erasure,
failure
backward,
eastward,
homeward
hardware, software,
kitchenware
clockwise,
lengthwise,
otherwise
brainy, fruity,
gooey