List of English Suffixes
A suffix is an affix that is added to the end of a word that conditions its usage or meaning. The opposite of suffix is prefix.
suffix Meaning Samples
Suffix |
General Meaning |
Example |
| -agogy |
leading |
pedagogy , demagogy |
| -archy |
rule, leadership |
gynarchy , anarchy |
| -cele, -coele, -coel |
body cavity |
mucocoel or mucocoele |
| -cele |
tumor, hernia |
hydatidocele |
| -centesis |
puncturing |
amniocentesis , rachicentesis |
| -chondrion |
small grainlike structure |
mitochondrion |
| -cide |
murder, killing agent |
suicide , vespacide, regicide |
| -cracy |
rule, government |
kakistocracy , democracy , androcracy |
| -cycle |
circle, cycle, unit of radio frequency |
epicycle , hydrocycle |
| -ectasia, -ectasis |
stretching out |
brochiectasis , telangiectasia |
| -ectomy |
surgical removal |
laryngectomy , vasectomy |
| -emesis |
vomiting |
hematemesis , hyperemesis |
| -emia |
blood condition |
leukemia , anaemia |
| -enchyma |
cellular tissue |
mesenchyma , karyenchyma |
| -ess |
female |
actress , waitress , stewardess |
| -esthesis, -esthesia |
sensation, feeling |
synesthesia, kinesthesis |
| -fugal |
fuge, driving or travelling away from, expelling |
centrifugal |
| -ful |
full of, having some or much |
hopeful , useful |
| -hedron |
geometric solid |
icosahedron , tetrahedron |
| -holic |
love , addiction |
alcoholic |
| -ic |
|
|
| -id |
skin rash |
syphilid |
| -ism |
doctrine, act, practice, condition |
Protestantism , alcoholism , Buddhism , southernism |
| -ist |
person |
dentist |
| -itis |
disease, inflammation |
hepatitis , gingivitis |
| -itude |
|
attitude , certitude |
| -ium |
metallic element (exception: helium) |
sodium , Calcium |
| -kinesis |
movement (ability thereof) |
telekinesis |
| -less |
lack of |
homeless , useless |
| -ly |
-like, having the attributes of; In modern English, primarily changes adjectives to adverbs; also changes some nouns to adjectives and some (past-tense) verbs to adverbs |
quick(adj) > quickly(adv), state(n) > stately(adj), abashed(v) > abashedly(adv) |
| -mania |
an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action |
kleptomania , megalomania , mythomania |
| -ography or -ogram |
writing, description |
stenography , geography , ideogram |
| -oid |
resembling |
solenoid , hominoid |
| -ology |
study, science |
planetology , thyroidology , phthisiology |
| -omics |
area of biology |
proteomics |
| -onomy |
knowledge of |
astronomy |
| -onym |
name, word |
antonym , consonym , heteronym |
| -osis |
process, action |
mitosis , osmosis |
| -osis |
formation |
ostosis |
| -osis |
diseased condition |
psychosis |
| -phagy, -phagia |
eating |
monophagy |
| -philia |
attraction |
hemophilia |
| -phobia |
fear |
acrophobia , mysophobia |
| -phone |
sound, audio |
telephone , homophone |
| -science |
knowing |
omniscience |
| -scope |
from Greek skopos , view; instrument for viewing and observing spaces |
microscope , telescope |
| -ship |
circle, state of being |
friendship , relationship |
| -stan |
land, country |
Afghanistan |
| -tropism |
to turn |
phototropism |
| -us |
inflammation |
ulcus (ulcer) |
| -ward |
direction |
southward |
| -wise |
direction |
clockwise |
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