ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Word parts›Suffixes›-less
SuffixOld English
-less
turns a noun into an adjective meaning without or lacking it
Old English -lēas meant without: fearless climbers lack fear, tireless walkers seem without fatigue, and heedless drivers show no heed.
Words built from it
- fearless — showing no fear
fear + -less (without) - tireless — showing great energy without seeming to become tired
tire (become weary) + -less (without) - heedless — failing to pay attention
heed + -less (without) - endless — having or seeming to have no end
end + -less (without) - speechless — temporarily unable to speak, often from surprise
speech + -less (without) - harmless — unlikely or unable to cause harm
harm + -less (without)
Looks like it, but is not
- blessed — from bless + -ed; bless is Old English bletsian 'to consecrate,' not -less
- lesser — from less + -er; less is from Old English læssa, not the suffix -less
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More suffixes
- -ive — turns a verb or root into an adjective meaning tending to, able to, or serving to do it
- -ize — turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning make, become, or treat in that way
- -ment — turns a verb into a noun naming the action, result, or means
- -ness — turns an adjective into a noun naming its state, condition, or quality
- -ology — turns a subject into the name of its study or body of knowledge