Suffix Meanings Sample Words and Definitions able to be excitable,
portable, preventable -ac pertaining to cardiac,
hemophiliac, maniac -acity (-ocity) quality of perspicacity,
sagacity, velocity -ade act, action or
process, product blockade,
cavalcade, promenade, -age action or
process passage,
pilgrimage, voyage -aholic (-oholic) one with an
obsession for workaholic,
shopaholic, alcoholic -al relating to bacterial,
theatrical, natural -algia pain neuralgia,
nostalgia, -an (-ian) relating to,
belonging to Italian,
urban, African -ance state or
quality of brilliance,
defiance, annoyance -ant a person who applicant,
immigrant, servant inclined to,
tending to brilliant,
defiant, vigilant -ar of or relating
to, being lunar,
molecular, solar a person who beggar,
burglar, liar -ard a person who
does an action coward,
sluggard, wizard -arian a person who disciplinarian,
vegetarian, librarian -arium (orium) a place for terrarium,
aquarium, solarium -ary of or relating
to literary,
military, budgetary -ate state or
quality of (adj.) affectionate,
desolate, obstinate makes the word
a verb (different pronunciation) activate,
evaporate, medicate -ation action or
process creation,
narration, emancipation -ative tending to
(adj.) creative,
preservative, talkative -cide act of killing homicide,
suicide, genocide -cracy rule,
government, power bureaucracy,
aristocracy, theocracy -crat someone who
has power aristocrat,
bureaucrat, technocrat -cule diminutive
(making something small) molecule,
ridicule, -cy state,
condition or quality efficiency,
privacy, belligerency -cycle circle, wheel bicycle,
recycle, tricycle -dom condition of,
state, realm boredom,
freedom, wisdom -dox belief, praise orthodox,
paradox surgical
removal of appendectomy,
hysterectomy -ed past tense called,
hammered, laughed -ee receiver,
performer nominee,
employee, devotee -eer associated
with/engaged in engineer,
volunteer -emia blood
condition anemia,
hypoglycemia, leukemia -en makes the word
a verb awaken,
fasten, strengthen -ence state or
condition, action absence,
dependence, negligence -ency condition or
quality clemency,
dependency, efficiency -ent inclined to performing/causing,
or one who performs/causes competent,
correspondent, absorbent -er more bigger,
faster, happier action or
process flutter,
ponder, stutter a person who
does an action announcer,
barber, teacher -ern state or
quality of eastern,
northern, western -escence state or
process adolescence,
convalescence -ese relating to a
place Chinese,
Congolese, Vietnamese -esque in the style
of Kafkaesque,
grotesque, burlesque -ess female actress,
heiress, lioness -est most funniest,
hottest, silliest -etic relating to
(makes the word an adj.) athletic,
energetic, poetic -ette diminutive
(makes something smaller) cigarette,
diskette, kitchenette -ful full of helpful,
thankful, cheerful -fy make, cause
(makes the word a verb) amplify,
falsify, terrify -gam/gamy marriage,
union monogam,
polygamy -gon/gonic angle hexagon,
polygonic, pentagon -hood state,
condition, or quality childhood,
neighborhood, motherhood relating to
