Suffix Meanings
What does the suffix –less mean?
Without / lacking
A word meaning “relating to history”: histor___
historical
Q: nervous
A: Real word
Q: “The ovoid stone rolled down the hill.” What does ovoid mean?
A: Egg-shaped / oval
Q: helpful
A: help + –ful = full of help
Which two suffixes BOTH mean “full of”?
–ful and –ous
Q: A word meaning “tends to destroy things”: destruct___
A: destructive
Q: friendful
A: Fake — incorrect suffix (should be friendly or friendless)
Q: “Her actions were childish, not childlike.” Which suffix shows exaggeration?
A: –ish
Q: careless
A: care + –less = without care
What does the suffix –ive mean?
Tending to
Q: A word meaning “able to break easily”: break___
A: breakable
Q: historic
A: Real word, often confused with historical
Q: “The harmful chemicals caused damage.” Which suffix signals danger?
A: –ful
Q: energetic
A: energy + –ic = relating to energy
Why do “helpful” and “hopeful” not mean the same thing?
The suffix stays the same; the base word changes the meaning.
Q: A word meaning “full of mystery”: myster___
A: mysterious
humorless
A: Real; suffix means “without”
Q: “The magical glow filled the room.” What does –al mean here?
A: Relating to magic
Q: believable
A: believe + –able = able to be believed
Which suffix means “shaped like,” often used in science words like asteroid
–oid
Q: A word meaning “slightly green”: green___
A: greenish
creatous
A: Fake — correct form is creative
Q: “He remained motionless despite the loud noise.” What does –less mean here?
A: Without movement
Q: adventurous
A: adventure + –ous = full of adventure