Understanding negative prefixes and suffixes in English helps in forming words that convey opposite or negative meanings. This guide explores 24 common negative prefixes and suffixes, providing examples to enhance your vocabulary and comprehension.
Negative Prefixes
- Un-: unhappy, unusual, unclear
- In-: inactive, incomplete, inconvenient
- Im-: impossible, immature, impolite
- Il-: illegal, illogical, illegible
- Ir-: irresponsible, irrelevant, irregular
- Non-: nonessential, nonstop, nonfiction
- Dis-: dishonest, disappear, disapprove
- Mis-: misunderstand, misplace, misuse
- Mal-: malfunction, malnutrition, malpractice
- Anti-: antisocial, antibacterial, antifreeze
- De-: deactivate, degrade, devalue
- A-: amoral, asymmetrical, atypical
Negative Suffixes
- -less: hopeless, careless
- -ness: sadness, darkness
- -ment: disappointment, displacement
- -ant: defiant, reluctant
- -en: weaken, shorten
- -ish: selfish, childish
- -ous: dangerous, furious
- -ful: harmful, stressful
- -ive: negative, corrosive
- -ly: badly, poorly
- -ic: chaotic, acidic
- -ate: desolate, separate
