ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Word parts›Suffixes›-ous
SuffixLatin
-ous
turns a noun or root into an adjective meaning full of, having, or characterized by it
Latin -osus meant full of: spacious rooms hold space, copious notes abound, and curious minds once were full of care.
Words built from it
- dangerous — likely to cause harm
danger + -ous (characterized by) - courageous — showing bravery
courage + -ous (having) - spacious — having abundant room
spati- (space) + -ous (full of) - copious — abundant in amount
copi- (abundance) + -ous (full of) - venomous — containing or producing poison
venom + -ous (having) - curious — eager to know or learn
curi- (care) + -ous (full of)
Looks like it, but is not
- righteous — from Old English rihtwis 'just,' later respelled; not the Latin -ous suffix
Drill this word part in the app
More suffixes
- -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
- -phobia/-phile — forms names for intense fears or aversions, or for people and feelings marked by strong fondness
- -tion/-sion — turns a verb into a noun naming an action, process, or result
- -ward — turns a place or direction into a word showing movement or orientation that way