What this suffix does
-turned evaluates how well-crafted a sentence or phrase is: well-turned (elegant, well-crafted), ill-turned (clumsy).
ESEN
Suffix · forms adjectives
-turned
Judges how well-crafted a phrase or sentence is: well-turned (elegantly phrased) versus ill-turned (clumsily phrased).
In Spanish: elaborado / forjado / torneadoIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
It's about writing style, not objects
Almost always used to praise (or criticize) how a sentence is written, not to describe physical things: "a well-turned phrase".
How it is formed
Adverb + turned.
- well + turnedwell-turned (elegantly phrased: a well-turned phrase)
- nicely + turnednicely-turned
- ill + turnedill-turned (clumsily phrased)
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
-turned
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -turned
In a phrase
- wellwell-turnedThe speech had a few well-turned phrases everyone remembered.
- illill-turnedHis ill-turned comment made things awkward.
- nicelynicely-turnedIt was a nicely-turned compliment.
- finelyfinely-turnedThe essay has some finely-turned sentences.
- perfectlyperfectly-turnedShe gave a perfectly-turned answer to a tricky question.
Common mistakes
well-turned only applies to language
well-turned applies to language, but also to any shaped object and to physical features
"Well-turned" has several distinct applications: (1) of language: a well-turned phrase, compliment, argument — one crafted with skill and precision; (2) of woodwork or metalwork: a well-turned object shaped on a lathe with precision and elegance; (3) of physical features, especially in older literary usage: a well-turned ankle, a well-turned calf — meaning elegantly shaped. Context determines which application is in use.
"ill-turned" = angry or hostile
"ill-turned" = phrased clumsily or infelicitously; not well-crafted in expression
"Ill-turned" describes the quality of linguistic production, not emotional state. An ill-turned remark is one that was phrased badly — the words were the wrong ones, or their arrangement was infelicitous. It has nothing to do with hostility or anger — only with the craft (or lack of craft) of the expression.
A trick to remember it
"Turned" comes from a woodworking lathe (spinning something to polish it into shape). well-TURNED = the phrase was carefully "turned" until it sounded perfect, like a piece of wood shaped on a lathe.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"ill-turned" describes a phrase that is...
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -turned mean in English?
The suffix -turned judges how well-crafted a phrase or sentence is: well-turned (elegantly phrased) versus ill-turned (clumsily phrased). In Spanish it usually maps to elaborado / forjado / torneado.
Can you give an example of a word with -turned?
"well" becomes "well-turned". It is a typical example of the -turned suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-natured
Describes someone's underlying character: good-natured (kind, easygoing) versus ill-natured (bad-tempered).
-spoken
Describes someone's tone or style of speaking: soft-spoken (speaking gently) and outspoken (speaking one's mind bluntly).
-wrought
Means "worked" or "crafted", literal or emotional: hand-wrought (crafted by hand) and overwrought (overly excited, on edge).
Learn every English suffix
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