Essential Suffixes II
Markus Burns
Memorize the following 8 advanced suffixes to expand your vocabulary:
1. ATIVE - inclined toward. E.g.: a) contemplative - inclined toward deep thought; b) talkative - tending to talk a lot;
2. ESQUE - in the style of. E.g.: a) picturesque - visually pleasing; b) statuesque - tall and stately.
3. ETIC - of or relating to. E.g.: a) magnetic - attractive or like a magnet; b) prophetic - making an accurate prediction.
4. FIC - causing. E.g.: a) prolific - creating a great amount; b) soporific - inducing sleep.
5. OID - resembling. E.g.: a) humanoid - resembling a human; b) planetoid - resembling a planet.
6. SIS - process. E.g.: a) analysis - careful examination of something; b) catharsis - relief of a difficult emotion.
7. ULENT - full of. E.g.: a) fraudulent - full of deception or fraud; b) turbulent - full of disorder.
8. WARD - facing toward. E.g.: a) backward - directed to the rear; seaward - toward the sea.
📝 For notes:
📄 Suffixes can't stand alone as their own words, but they can significantly change a word's meaning. They can also change the grammatical form of a word. For instance, the word friend is a noun. But when the suffix -ly is added to it, it becomes and adjective: friendly. There are fewer common suffixes than there are common prefixes, and learning common suffixes will help you figure out more complex vocabulary words.
📄The word suffix derives from the ancient Latin sub, meaning subordinately and figere, meaning to fix. It entered English in the late 18th century from the modern Latin suffixum.