What this suffix does
-natured describes someone's underlying character: good-natured, ill-natured.
ESEN
Suffix · forms adjectives
-natured
Describes someone's underlying character: good-natured (kind, easygoing) versus ill-natured (bad-tempered).
In Spanish: de naturaleza / de carácterIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
How it is formed
Adjective + natured.
- good + naturedgood-natured (kind, easygoing)
- ill + naturedill-natured (bad-tempered)
- sweet + naturedsweet-natured (gentle, sweet-tempered)
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
How it is pronounced
-natured
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Examples
Base word
With -natured
In a phrase
- goodgood-naturedTheir dog is very good-natured, it never barks at strangers.
- illill-naturedHe made an ill-natured comment about her cooking.
- sweetsweet-naturedShe's sweet-natured and always ready to help.
- kindkind-naturedHe's kind-natured, always looking out for his friends.
- eveneven-naturedThe horse is even-natured, calm even around loud noises.
Common mistakes
good-natured = in a good mood
good-natured = fundamentally kind and pleasant by nature
"Good-natured" describes a stable character trait, not a temporary state. "She is in a good mood today" means she is happy right now. "She is good-natured" means she is consistently kind, cheerful, and pleasant — that is simply who she is. The distinction is between state (mood) and trait (nature).
confusing -natured with -tempered
they describe different aspects of disposition
"-tempered" describes how easily and intensely someone reacts emotionally, especially to provocation. "-natured" describes the fundamental quality of a person's character. A person can be "good-natured" (fundamentally kind) but "hot-tempered" (reacting with sudden anger). They are not synonyms.
A trick to remember it
good-natured = "having a good nature", from "nature" (the same word as in "human nature"). Think of someone's character as their underlying "nature".
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"ill-natured" describes someone who is...
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -natured mean in English?
The suffix -natured describes someone's underlying character: good-natured (kind, easygoing) versus ill-natured (bad-tempered). In Spanish it usually maps to de naturaleza / de carácter.
Can you give an example of a word with -natured?
"good" becomes "good-natured". It is a typical example of the -natured suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-hearted
Describes someone's emotional character: warmhearted (kind, affectionate) and coldhearted (unfeeling, unkind).
-minded
Describes someone's way of thinking: open-minded (accepting of new ideas) versus narrow-minded (closed off, intolerant).
-tempered
Describes someone's emotional character: even-tempered (calm, steady) versus hot-tempered (quick to anger).
Learn every English suffix
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