考研英语词汇记忆：26种常见形容词后缀

词根词缀是考研英语词汇记忆的有效方法，考生要熟记一些常用词根词缀，提升记忆速

度，下面是26个常见的形容词后缀，大家看看并背下来。

1-able以“-able”结尾的形容词一般有两种情况：

(1)v.+able→adj.以这种方式构成的形容词其意义为“能„„的”、“可以(被)„„的”、“适

合于„„的”、“值得„„的”等，即有被动含义。例如：reliable(可以依靠的)，drinkable(可

以饮用的)，eatable(可食用的)。

(2)n.+able→adj.这种形容词意为“具有„„特点的”，如valuable(有价值的)，reasonable(有

道理的)，comfortable(舒适的)。

2-ible该词缀在意义上与“-able”相同，但主要用于拉丁语后。例如：

terrible,horrible,invisible,possible。

3-al该词缀大多是加在名词后形成形容词的。不过，有些“-al”后缀则仅体现了该词的

形容词性，并非以这种方式构成形容词。“-al”意为“属于„„的”、“有„„特性的”。

4-an“-an”加在国名、地名之后，表明是相应的形容词，如American,African。

5-ian“-ian”与“-an”相同。例如：Asian,Australian,Canadian,Indian,Italian。

6-ant“-ant”表示“„„性的”。带“-ant”后缀的形容词其相应名词往往是-ance或-ancy

后缀。例如：instant(instance)，distant(distance)，important(importance)，brilliant(brilliancy)，

constant(constancy)，pleasant。

7-ent“-ent”与“-ant”非常相似。例如：abnt(abnce)，different(difference)，

excellent(excellence)，patient(patience)，prent(prence)。

8-ar“-ar”意为“„„的”、“„„性的”，如popular,particular,regular。

9-ary“-ary”意为“„„的”、“与„„有关的”。例如：

contrary,necessary,ordinary,primary,revolutionary。

10-ed“-ed”加在动词之后形成形容词。实际上该形容词是由原动词的过去分词演变而

来的，因此它有被动含义。

“-ed”也可加在动词之后形成复合形容词，如man-made,water-covered。

“-ed”还可加在名词之后形成复合形容词，如warm-hearted,warm-blooded,three-legged。

11-en“-en”有两种情况：

(1)“-en”跟在一些物质名词之后构成形容词，表示“材料”或“质地”，如

wooden,golden,earthen。

(2)“-en”也可加在一些不规则动词之后形成形容词。这些形容词实际上是由过去分词

转换而来的。例如：spoken,written,stricken,mistaken。

12-ern“-ern”加在表示方位的名词之后，表示“„„(方位)的”。这样的词有

eastern,southern,western,northern等。

13-e“-e”加在国名、地名之后构成相应形容词。例如：Chine,Japane.

14-ful这一后缀有两种情况：

(1)加在名词之后构成形容词，表示“充满„„的”、“有„„性质的”，如

beautiful,colourful,helpful,powerful,successful,uful,wonderful。

(2)加在动词之后，所构成的形容词意为“易于„„的”，如forgetful。

15-ic“-ic”常常加在名词或依附于词干后，构成形容词，意为“„„的”、“„„似的”、

“与„„有关的”等。例如：Atlantic,electric,arctic,historic,pacific,plastic,public,scientific。

16-ical“-ical”同“ic”一样附加在名词或词干后构成形容词，意为“„„的”、“„„似

的”、“与„„有关的”，如physical,political,practical,technical等。

注：(1)有些形容词的词尾可能是“-ic”和“-ical”并存，且可以互相替代，但这不是说

两者就没有任何区别。一般来说，词尾“ic”与词根的关系比较密切，而词尾“ical”与词根

的关系比较含糊，一般作“与„„有关的”解。请比较：anelectriclight(电灯)，

electricalengineering(电气工程);historic意为“历史上有名气的”，historical则意为“关于历史

的”。(2)以“ic”结尾的形容词，其相应副词则往往是pacifically,scientifically。

17-ing词尾“-ing”也可构成形容词，但这种形容词实际上是现在分词形容词化了，因

此，此类形容词表示主动。例如：dying,exciting,inspiring,interesting,freezing,living。

另外，“-ing”词尾还可构成合成形容词，如good-looking

18-ish“-ish”意义较多，在中学英语中，其主要意义是“„„民族的”、“„„语的”、

“„„似的”、“患„„的”，如English,British,foolish,feverish。

19-ist“-ist”表示“„„主义的”、“信仰„„的”。该后缀加在名词之后，如

communist,imperialist,Marxist,socialist。

20-ive“-ive”意为“„„的”、“与„„有关的”、“具有„„性质的”等。例如：

native,active,passive,attentive,expensive。

21-less“-less”加在名词、动词后，表示“无”、“缺”，如

fearless,harmless,uless,helpless,careless。

22-ly“-ly”加在名词之后构成形容词。这一词缀的意义有二：

(1)“像„„的”、“有„„性质的”，如friendly,lively,lovely,lonely,orderly。

(2)“以„„为周期的”、“每„„的”，如hourly,daily,weekly,monthly,yearly。

注：如是形容词之后加“-ly”，则构成副词。上述(2)中的形容词亦可用作副词。

23-(i)ous该形容词后缀意为“充满„„的”、“具有„„特征的”，加在名词、动词和形

容词之后。例如：curious,famous,dangerous,obvious,poisonous,rious,various。

24-some“-some”加在名词、动词之后，表示“使人„„的”、“易于„„的”，如

handsome,troublesome,tiresome。

25-ward它加在名词之后，表示方向，作“向„„(方向)的”、“来自„„(方向)的”解。

例如：

eastward,southward,westward,northward,forward,backward,inward,outward,upward,downward。

注：这些词也可以是副词。如果词尾是“-wards”时，派生词必然是副词。

26-y“-y”加在名词之后，表示“具有„„特征的”、“多„„的”。例如：

funny,lucky,shabby,snowy,thirsty,windy,sunny,rainy,cloudy,dirty,dusty。

还需说明的一点是，大部分形容词是从完整的单词上加后缀派生来的，而有些则是在拉

丁词或希腊词的词根上派生来的。

Stem affix is an effective way to one's decead father grind English vocabulary memory, the

examinee to memorize some commonly ud stem affix, improve the speed of memory, here are

26 common adjective suffixes, and look back down.

1 - able to "- able" at the end of the adjective usually have two situations:

(1) v. + able to adj. In this way in the composition of adjectives, its meaning is "", "can

(was)......", "", "" etc., which has a passive meaning. For example: reliable (can rely on),

drinkable (drinkable), eatable (edible).

(2) n. + able to adj. The adjectives mean to "have the ", such as valuable

(valuable), reasonable (n), comfortable (comfortable).

2 - ible the affix in n is the same as the "- able, but mainly for the Latin. For example:

terrible, latest, invisible, possible.

3 - al the affix is mostly after the noun form adjectives. However, some "- al" suffix is only

reflected the describe the part of speech of the word, not in this way make adjectives. "- al"

means "", ""... characteristics.

4 - an "- an" after the name, place names, that is the corresponding adjectives, such as

American, substitutes.

5 - Ian - Ian "the same as" - an ". For example: Asian, Australian, Canadian, Indian and Italian.

6 - ant "ant" said "... ". With "ant" suffix its corresponding adjective noun is often - ance or -

ancy suffix. For example: instant (instance), the distant (short), important (importance), brilliant

(brilliancy), constant (constancy), pleasant.

7 - ent "- ent" and "ant" is very similar. For example: abnt (abnce), the company

(difference), excellent (excellence nessuah brokerage), patient (patience), prent (prence).

8 - ar - ar "means"... ", "... ", such as the popular, particular, regular.

9 - ary "- ary" means "... ", "". For example, contrary, necessary, ordinary, primary,

revolutionary.

10 - Ed add "Ed" after the verb to form adjectives. In fact the adjective is evolved from the

past participle form of the verb, so it has a passive meaning.

"- Ed" can also be added after the verb to form compound adjectives, such as man - made,

water - covered.

"- Ed" can also be added after the noun form compound adjectives, such as a warm -

hearted, a warm - blooded, three - legged.

11 - en "- en" have two situations:

(1) "- en" and after some material noun form adjectives, said "material" or "texture", such as

wooden, golden, earthen.

(2) "- en" also can add in some irregular verbs to form adjectives. The adjectives are

actually from the past participle. For example: spoken, written, stricken, mistaken.

12 - ern "- ern" add after said orientation noun, said "... (location). Words like eastern,

southern, western, northern, etc.

13 - e "- e" and constitute corresponding adjectives after name, place names. For

example: Chine, Japane.

14 - ful a suffix have two situations:

(1) after the noun form adjectives, said "... ", "... "nature, such as beautiful, colourful, helpful,

powerful, successful, uful and wonderful.

(2) after the verb of adjectives mean for "", such as forgetful.

15 - IC "- IC" is often added to nouns or attached to the stem, adjective, means "... ", "... ",

"" and so on. For example: the Atlantic, electric, arctic, historic, Pacific, plastic, public,

scientific.

16 - ical "- ical like" IC "additional" after the noun or stems form adjectives, meaning "...... ",

"... ", "", such as physical, here, practical, technical, etc.

Note: (1) some adjective suffix might be "- IC" and "- ical" coexist, and can replace each

other, but this is not to say that there is no any difference. Generally speaking, the suffix "IC" and

the root of the clo relationship between, the suffix "ical" relationship with root is vague,

general for "". Plea compare:

anelectriclight (light), electricalengineering (electrical engineering); Historic meaning "famous" in

the history, historical meaning "about history". (2) at the end of the adjective "IC", its

corresponding adverbs are often pacifically, scientifically.

17 - ing suffix "- ing" can also be an adjective, but this is actually a prent participle

adjective adjectives, as a result, the adjectives mean initiative. For example, dying, exciting and

inspiring, interesting, freezing, living.

In addition, "ing" ending can also constitute a synthesis of adjectives, such as good - &

18 - ish "- ish" meaning is more, in the middle school English, its main meaning is "... ",

"", "... ", "...... ", such as English, British, foolish, feverish.

19 - ist "- ist" said "... ", "". The suffix added after the noun, such as communism,

imperialist, Marxist, socialist.

20 - ive "- ive" means "... ", "", "in the " and so on. For example: native,

active, passive, attentive, and expensive.

21 - less "less" and after the nouns, verbs, said "no" and "missing", such as a fearless,

harmless, uless, helpless, careless.

22 - ly "- ly" add after the noun adjectives. The meaning of the affix are two:

(1) "", "... "nature, such as friendly, lively, lovely, lonely, and orderly.

(2) "...... for the cycle ", "", such as hourly, daily, weekly, or, yearly.

Note: if after an adjective "- ly", constitutes an adverb. (2) above the adjectives can be ud

as an adverb.

23 - (I) ous the adjective suffix meaning "", "has the ", and after

the nouns, verbs and adjectives. For example, curious, famous,

dangerous, obvious, poisonous, rious, various.

24 - some "- some" plus after nouns, verbs, said "make ", "", such as

handsome, troublesome, tiresome.

25 to ward it after the noun, said direction, "to... (direction)", "" (direction). For

example: eastward and southward and westward, northward, forward, backward, inward,

outward, upward, downward.

Note: the words may also be an adverb. If the suffix "- wards, derivative is necessarily

adverbs.

26 - "-" y plus y after nouns, said "... characteristics ", "". For example, be hilarious,

lucky, shabby, snowy, thirsty, windy, sunny, cloudy, rainy, dirty, dusty.

Also indicate that most of the adjectives from complete words and add suffix is derived, and

some are in Latin or Greek word derived from the root.