Formation of Adjectives

Formation of Adjectives:

Adjectives From Nouns:

(a) Adjectives ending in “al“:

Similarly- (Habit) Habitual; (herb) herbal; (History) Historical also historic; (industry) industrial; (law) legal; (origin) original; (picture) pictorial; (prejudice) prejudicial; (use) usual; (viceroy) viceregal; (voice) vocal; (word) Verbal; etc.

(b) Adjectives ending in “full“:

Similarly- Careful; cheerful; fateful; fearful; graceful; harmful; hopeful; needful; painful; peaceful; playful; powerful; respectful; sorrowful; tasteful; thoughtful; useful; wishful; wonderful; etc.

(c) Adjectives ending in “ary“:

Similarly- (Sanitation) sanitary; (honour) honorary; (moment) momentary; (solitude) solitary; etc.

(d) Adjectives ending in “y“:

Similarly- Dusty; (ease) easy; faulty; (fire) fiery; fishy; fleshy; foggy; flowery; (fun) funny; grassy; gloomy; guilty; hairy; handy; hearty; healthy; hilly; horny; (hunger) hungry; (ice) icy; leafy; milky; mighty; (noise) noisy; oily; papery; rainy; risky; rocky; (rose) rosy; sandy; silvery; (smoke) smoky; snowy; (star) starry; (stone) stony; stormy; thirsty; (sun) sunny; (winter) wintry; worthy; (word) wordy; watery; windy; etc.

(e) Adjectives ending in “ic“:

Similarly- (Comedy) comic; characteristic; (prose) prosaic; (school) scholastic; etc.

(f) Adjectives ending in “ish“:

Similarly- (England) English; boyish; feverish; foolish; girlish; slavish; womanish; etc.

Note 1: Adjectives ending in “ish“ are used in a bad sense. But Adjectives ending in “like” are used in a good sense; as,

• Childish- having the bad qualities of a child, like an irresponsibility, lies, etc.
• Childlike- having the good qualities of a child, like innocence, frankness, etc.

Note 2: “ish” added to an Adjective gives the sense of slight, rather a little; as,

• He is feeling feverish (slight fever) today.

(g) Adjectives ending in “like“:

Similarly- Doglike; warlike; etc.

(h) Adjectives ending in “ate“:

Similarly- (college) collegiate; passionate; etc.

(i) Other Adjectives:

(j) Adjectives ending in “less“:

Similarly- Houseless; hopeless; lawless; lifeless; limitless; meaningless; merciless; needless; pitiless; powerless; senseless; sightless; sleepless; thoughtless; useless; worthless; etc.

(k) Adjectives ending in “ly”:

Similarly- Cowardly; Earthly; fatherly; motherly; sisterly; friendly; Godly; heavenly; homely; hourly; kingly; lovely; maidenly; manly; mannerly; monthly; only; neighbourly; princely; queenly; saintly; scholarly; rightly; timely; weekly; womanly; worldly; yearly; etc.

(l) Adjectives ending in “ous“:

Similarly- Advantageous; courageous; dangerous; poisonous; ruinous; etc.

(m) Adjectives ending in “able“:

Similarly- Noticeable; (note) notable; pardonable; (pity) pitiable; profitable; questionable; respectable; (value) valuable; etc.

(n) Adjectives ending in “ve“:

Similarly- Plaintive; progressive; talkative.

Adjectives From Verbs:

Adjectives From Adjectives:

Some Foreign Adjectives: