Suffix · forms adjectives
From Old English "-sum": forms adjectives meaning producing that effect or characterised by that quality. Gruesome, winsome, loathsome, wholesome, awesome.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
The suffix -some comes from Old English "-sum" and forms adjectives meaning "producing that effect" or "characterised by that quality". awesome = inspiring awe (awe + some). gruesome = causing horror (Old English "grue" = shudder). loathsome = producing revulsion (loathe = to feel disgust). wholesome = promoting wellbeing (whole = entire, healthy). troublesome = causing trouble (trouble + some).
"winsome" = charming with an innocent and natural attractiveness: "a winsome smile." From "wynn" (joy, delight). Almost exclusively literary. C2. "loathsome" = absolutely repugnant, producing physical or moral revulsion: "a loathsome character." Stronger than "disgusting". "gruesome" = horrible, hair-raising, causing shudders: "a gruesome discovery." Very common in crime journalism and horror fiction.
"awesome" has two completely distinct registers: Original formal register (C1-C2): inspiring reverential awe, overwhelming: "the awesome power of the volcano." Modern colloquial American English: fantastic, great (equivalent to "cool"). This informal use is ubiquitous in spoken American English. In formal and literary writing, use "awesome" in its original sense. If you want to say "great", prefer "remarkable", "impressive" or "outstanding" in formal written English.
Noun or verb + some. Produces adjectives.
"handsome" does not mean "having large hands" — the root "hand" here comes from "handy" (skilful, apt). In modern English handsome = attractive (of a person, especially a man) or considerable (of a sum of money).
-some/səm/ · rhymes with come
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
In formal writing "awesome" = overwhelming, awe-inspiring: "the awesome force of the storm." In informal American speech "awesome" = great. Do not mix registers in formal writing.
"winsome" has no connection to "to win." It comes from Old English "wynn" (joy). "a winsome smile" = a charming and innocent smile.
"handsome" is unrelated to "hand" in the modern sense. "a handsome man" = an attractive man. "a handsome sum" = a considerable amount of money.
A trick to remember it
-some = producing X or characterised by X. Literary words: winsome (charming), loathsome (repugnant), gruesome (horrifying), wholesome (healthy), burdensome (oppressive). Watch out: awesome formally = awe-inspiring; colloquially = great.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"A winsome smile" means...
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the formal use of "awesome"?
The suffix -some from Old English "-sum": forms adjectives meaning producing that effect or characterised by that quality. Gruesome, winsome, loathsome, wholesome, awesome. In Spanish it usually maps to -oso / -able / producing.
The ending -some is pronounced /səm/ · rhymes with come. For example, "awesome".
"awe (reverential fear)" becomes "awesome". It is a typical example of the -some suffix.
From Latin "-ax/-acis": means "full of" or "having the quality of" to a high degree. Tenacious, audacious, malicious, delicious.
Turns a noun into an adjective meaning "full of" or "having": care becomes careful.
From Latin "-itudo": forms abstract nouns of state or quality. Solitude, gratitude, magnitude, fortitude.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.