suffix

4 synonyms and 1 antonym for suffix, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or its grammatical role, such as -ness in kindness or -ed in walked.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

ending

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

affix word ending postfix

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or its grammatical role, such as -ness in kindness or -ed in walked.

“Adding the suffix -less turns hope into hopeless.”

ending affix word ending postfix

Opposites

prefix

2. verb

To add something to the end of a word, name or string.

“The system suffixes the file name with the date it was saved.”

Opposites

prefix

How to use suffix

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

common suffixes name suffix suffix -ing add a suffix

Neutral; standard in grammar teaching and on official forms alike.

Etymology

From Latin suffixus "fastened underneath or after", the past participle of suffigere, from sub- "under, after" and figere "to fasten".

Full origin of suffix →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?

A prefix goes at the front of a word and usually changes its meaning — un- in unhappy. A suffix goes at the end and often changes the part of speech as well as the meaning — -ness turns the adjective happy into the noun happiness.

What is the difference between a suffix and an affix?

Affix is the umbrella term for anything attached to a word to modify it. Prefixes, suffixes and infixes are all types of affix; a suffix is specifically the kind that attaches to the end.

What does suffix mean on a form?

It means the title or generation marker that follows your name, such as Jr., Sr., II, III, or a qualification like MD or PhD. If none applies, the field is left blank.

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ending prefix affix

Nearby words

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