Adjectives are used to modify nouns or pronouns in a sentence. There are many different types of adjectives; each one has a slightly different purpose. Sometimes, adjectives may even be made up of more than one word. These types of adjectives are known as compound adjectives.
Compound adjectives are a type of neologism — referring to the coining and creation of new words. They are formed by combining two or more words together.
Compound adjectives: definition
What are compound adjectives? Take a look at the definition below:
Compound adjectives are adjectives made up of more than one word (usually two, but sometimes three). They are used to modify the noun or pronoun in a sentence, so they have the same function as single-word adjectives.
Compound adjectives do not have to be made up of only adjectives; other word forms can combine to form compound adjectives (such as nouns and adjectives, adverbs and past participles, etc.).
The word «single-word» is an example of a compound adjective!
Fig. 1 — Snow could be described as «ice-cold.» This is an example of a compound adjective.
Compound adjectives: rules
Compound adjectives are used to modify nouns or pronouns. They can be placed before the noun/pronoun in a sentence. For example:
«My long-term goal is to stay happy.»
In this sentence, the compound adjective «long-term» is used to modify the noun «goal.»
Alternatively, they can also come after the noun/pronoun. For example:
«This playground is child-safe.«
In this sentence, the compound adjective «child-safe» is used to modify the noun «playground.»
Compound adjectives: using the hyphen
Compound adjectives often use hyphens to let the reader know they should be read as one unit instead of two different words. In particular, compound adjectives are usually hyphenated when they come before a noun or pronoun in a sentence. For example:
«I’m baking a gluten-free cake.»
However, compound adjectives do not always need to be hyphenated if their meaning is still clear without one. They’re usually not hyphenated when they come after a noun or pronoun. For example:
«This cake is gluten-free» VS. «This cake is gluten free.»
Both of these sentences can be understood regardless of the use of a hyphen.
Keep in mind that when using hyphens, it is often a matter of personal preference. But, in some instances, it is easier to hyphenate compound adjectives if the meaning could be misunderstood. These misunderstandings may be more common among non-native speakers of English, as they may mistake a compound adjective for two separate words, which can change the meaning of a sentence.
Take the sentence, «I saw a fish eating bear.»
Without the hyphen, it could seem as though the fish is eating a bear.
When a hyphen is used, the meaning of the sentence is made clearer:
«I saw a fish-eating bear.»
It is clear that the sentence is referring to a bear that eats fish.
Compound adjective: examples
There are different types of compound adjectives made with words from different word classes. It is important to know that just because they are called compound adjectives, this does not mean they only contain adjectives.
Compound adjectives simply act as an adjective in a sentence, but they can consist of words from other word classes. Take a look at some examples of different types of compound adjectives below:
Adjective Noun
| Example | Sentence |
| Last-minute | «I’m planning a last-minute trip to New York.» |
| Long-distance | «The long-distance flight was tiring.» |
| High-quality | «The TV played high-quality videos.» |
| Short-term | «Think about your short-term plan.» |
Adjective Present Participle (verb form ending in «ing»)
| Example | Sentence |
| Good-looking | «He’s a good-looking guy.» |
| Easy-going | «Some would say I’m easy-going.» |
| Tight-fitting | «I want to buy some tight-fitting jeans.» |
| Long-running | «Les Miserables is a long-running theatre show.» |
Adjective Past Participle (verb form usually ending in «ed»)
| Example | Sentence |
| Old-fashioned | «The clothes she wore were quite old-fashioned.» |
| Open-minded | «My family is open-minded.» |
| Quick-witted | «Her quick-witted sense of humor makes people laugh.» |
| Short-lived | «That idea was short-lived.» |
Noun Adjective
| Example | Sentence |
| Family-friendly | «This resort is family-friendly.» |
| Child-free | «Enjoy a child-free trip away.» |
| World-famous | «The Beatles were a world-famous band.» |
| Sugar-free | «The sugar-free brownies are surprisingly good.» |
Noun Present Participle
| Example | Sentence |
| Mind-numbing | «After another mind-numbing conversation, I was ready to go to sleep.» |
| Record-breaking | «The fastest car in the world went a record-breaking 763 miles an hour.» |
| Time-consuming | «Writing essays can be time-consuming but very rewarding.» |
| Thought-provoking | «He asked a thought-provoking question.» |
Noun Past Participle
| Example | Sentence |
| Middle-aged | «A middle-aged man crossed the street.» |
| Sun-dried | «The sun-dried tomatoes are the best.» |
| Wind-powered | «Many boats are wind-powered.» |
| Tongue-tied | «I was tongue-tied when I met a celebrity.» |
Adverb Past Participle
| Example | Sentence |
| Well-behaved | «The puppy is well-behaved.» |
| Brightly-lit | «The brightly-lit room felt uninviting.» |
| Highly-respected | «The highly-respected university professor has been working for many years.» |
| Well-known | «Germany is well-known for its beer and sausages.» |
Number Noun
| Fifteen-minute | «You need to do a fifteen-minute presentation.» |
| Four-story | «I live in a four-story building.» |
| Ninety-page | «She had to memorize a ninety-page monologue.» |
| Five-star | «We were staying at a five-star hotel.» |
Note that compound adjectives with numbers must only include a singular noun. For example, saying «I live in a four-story building» is grammatically correct, but «I live in a four-stories building» is not. This is because «story» is singular, and «stories» is plural.
Fig. 2 — You may write a «ten-page» essay, but not a «ten-pages» essay!
Three-word compound adjectives with hyphens
Although they are not as common, some compound adjectives contain three words. In this case, the conjunctions «and» or «of» are usually used between two other words. All three words must be hyphenated to show they are one unit of meaning instead of three separate words. For example:
| Three-word compound adjective | Example sentence |
| Matter-of-fact | «She spoke in a matter-of-fact way about politics.» |
| Salt-and-pepper | «His salt-and-pepper hair was attractive.» |
| Happy-go-lucky | «He’s a happy-go-lucky person.» |
It is worth mentioning that compound adjectives are not the only type of compound word. For example, another type of compound word is a compound noun.
Compound nouns function as nouns in a sentence and are made up of two or more words. A few examples are:
- bedroom
- raincoat
- toothpaste
Compound nouns are often written as one word without hyphens (but not always).
Compound Adjectives — Key takeaways
- Compound adjectives are adjectives made up of more than one word (usually two, sometimes three).
- Compound adjectives are used to modify the noun or pronoun in a sentence.
- Compound adjectives can comprise different word classes. Some different types of compound adjectives are:
- adjective + noun, adjective + present participle, adjective + past participle
- noun + adjective, noun + present participle, noun + past participle
- adverb + past participle
- number + noun
- Compound adjectives often use hyphens (especially if they come before the noun), as this lets the reader know that they are a single unit of meaning and not two separate words. Hyphens are not always needed and often aren’t used when the compound adjective comes after the noun.
- Although not as common, compound adjectives can also consist of three words. Three-word compound adjectives always use hyphens.
For today’s grammar lesson, we are going to learn about compound adjectives. These are groups of words that come together to function as an adjective. They are usually joined by a hyphen.
What is a Compound Adjective?
A compound adjective is a group of words (at least two) that work together to function as an adjective. Most commonly, you will see two adjectives prior to a noun. For example:
- part-time job
- world-famous actor
In these examples “part-time” and “world-famous” are compound adjectives. They are both made up of two words but they function together as one adjective.
Rules for Compound Adjectives
A compound is when several words come together to make a single new word. When that happens with a compound adjective, then two (or more) words will be joined to make a single adjective, such as:
- all-time high
- first-place prize
- six-year-old boy
- twentieth-century values
In each of these examples, we have several words joined by hyphens functioning as adjectives (all-time, first-place, six-year-old, twentieth-century). These come before a noun.
Compound adjectives don’t always come before a noun. They may appear as predicate adjectives, meaning that they come later in the sentence, after a linking verb. A very common linking verb is “to be,” so let’s look at an example:
- I spoke to a middle-aged man.
- The man was middle-aged.
In the first example, the compound adjective (“middle-aged”) comes before the noun but in the second it comes after the noun and is linked to it by a verb (“was”).
You will see that most of these examples feature two words joined by a hyphen but I did include a three-word adjective above (“six-year-old”). This is quite common with numbers and specifically ages:
- forty-two-year-old man
- twelve-year-old girl
Just remember that each of the words that work together to modify the noun is considered one adjective.
Do compound adjectives always require a hyphen?
Compound adjectives usually have a hyphen but not always. There are a few exceptions.
Firstly, we do not hyphenate a compound adjective when the first of those words is an adverb. For example:
- highly recommended programme
- really handsome guy
- very interesting person
Some people like to remember this by saying that we do not hyphenate when the first word ends in “-ly” but as we can see from the third example, that’s not strictly true. Not all adverbs end in “-ly.”
If the words used as an adjective make up a proper noun (ie the official name of something), then we do not hyphenate them:
- These books have a Harry Potter feel.
- The party will have an Ancient Egypt theme.
In these examples, some people might be tempted to hyphenate the words that have become adjectives (Harry Potter, Ancient Egypt), but this would be incorrect.
There are also some instances of compound adjectives where two words have already become one word:
- overzealous approach
- undercooked chicken
However, these are actually considered single words (even though they’re made of separate words) and so they are a little different.
Comparatives and Superlatives
When the first word in a compound adjective is comparative or superlative, we hyphenate it when it comes prior to a noun but we do not hyphenate it when it comes later in the sentence. For example:
- We all agreed it was the best-tasting dish on the menu.
- This dish is the best tasting.
When this compound adjective (“best-tasting”) came before the noun it modified (“dish”), it was hyphenated. When it came after, it was not hyphenated.
Examples of Compound Adjectives
Here is a list of compound adjectives:
| Compound Adjective | Example (with noun) |
| all-time | all-time high, all-time low |
| blue-collar | blue-collar workers |
| brand-new | brand-new car, brand-new shoes |
| child-like | child-like innocence |
| double-sided | double-sided tape |
| eco-friendly | eco-friendly design, eco-friendly resort |
| English-speaking | English-speaking country |
| eye-catching | eye-catching design, eye-catching colours |
| eye-opening | eye-opening experience |
| first-place | first-place prize |
| gender-neutral | gender-neutral bathroom, gender-neutral clothing |
| good-looking | good-looking man, good-looking person |
| half-hearted | half-hearted attempt |
| high-level | high-level competition, high-level debate |
| long-lasting | long-lasting flavour |
| middle-aged | middle-aged man, middle-aged woman |
| mouth-watering | mouth-watering chicken, mouth-watering recipe |
| narrow-minded | narrow-minded person |
| part-time | part-time job, part-time worker, part-time schedule |
| short-term | short-term loan, short-term success |
| sugar-free | sugar-free gum, sugar-free snack |
| sun-dried | sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried raisins |
| ten-year-old | ten-year-old boy |
| top-of-the-line | top-of-the-line product |
| well-educated | well-educated person |
| well-known | well-known actor, well-known place |
Examples of Compound Adjectives with Numbers
It is quite common to see compound adjectives used with heights and weights:
- A two-ton truck.
- A six-foot man.
- A ten-gallon hat.
Note that the measurement is in singular form. This is an important rule. Even though we would say, for example, “ten gallons,” we use the singular form when it becomes a compound adjective. (You can learn more about numbers and IELTS here.)
Other examples include:
- one-of-a-kind experience
- first-of-its-kind product
- seven-fold increase
- two-time champion
Of course, as we have seen above, we frequently use compound adjectives with ages:
- A six-year-old boy appeared from nowhere and asked us a question.
- We were approached by a thirty-one-year-old male who appeared confused and aggressive.
- A sixty-four-year-old man died last night.
- The police found a two-month-old baby.
В английском языке есть место творчеству! Он универсален во всех смыслах. Вы сами способны придумать по-английски что-то новое и уникальное. Чтобы выразить свою мысль ярко и оригинально, вы можете сами составлять слова, зная правила их образования. Многие английские писатели пополнили лексический фонд языка, когда изобрели авторские слова необычной формы. Такие грамматические единицы представляют собой не одно, а несколько слов. Они добавляют в высказывание точные детали, привносят конкретику, делают речь насыщенной и красочной. Достигается это разными способами. Рассмотрим, как составляются и употребляются сложные прилагательные (compound adjectives).
Что такое сложные прилагательные
Это одно слово, которое включает в себя два и более слова. Пишутся они обычно через дефис. Значение каждого из них по отдельности может отличаться от того смысла, которым они наделяются вместе. В состав таких сложных словоформ входят не только прилагательные. Они могут состоять из разных частей речи, но при этом вместе всегда обозначают признак предмета.
- Прилагательное + причастие.
Long-lasting. / Долговечный.
- Прилагательное + существительное.
Grey-haired. / Седой.
- Прилагательное + наречие.
Low-paid. / Низкооплачиваемый.
Правила образования compound adjectives
В английском языке есть шаблоны, по которым образуются составные прилагательные. На письме они оформляются по-разному. Могут писаться раздельно, слитно или через дефис. В связи с этим возникают небольшие сложности в написании и употреблении сложных слов. Попробуем их преодолеть. Зачастую дефис ставится, если прилагательное стоит перед объектом, который оно распространяет. Если после, то дефис уже не нужен. Сравните:
- The well-known actor. / Известный актер.
The actor is well known. / Актер хорошо известен. - An angry-sounding message. / Сердито звучащее сообщение.
Message is sounding angry. / Сообщение звучит сердито. - The ill-conceived plan. / Непродуманный план.
The plan is ill conceived. / План плохо продуман.
Однако это правило относится не ко всем составным словам. Например, «convert the day-trip trade» не получится заменить на «the trade is day trip». Чтобы не ошибиться в правописании, придерживайтесь установленных в языке норм. В английском дефисы всегда ставятся только в нескольких случаях.
- Если в сложном прилагательном сначала стоит префикс. Его обязательно отделяют дефисом от остальной части слова.
Semi-skilled. / Полуквалифицированный.
Post-war. / Послевоенный.
- Если в составном слове имеются числа. При этом они должны стоять только в единственном числе. Во множественном такие слова не используются, даже если подразумевается не один объект, а множество чего-то.
Thirty-two-year-old pianist. / Тридцатидвухлетний пианист.
Second-class ticket. / Билет второго класса.
- Если нужно разграничить значение и убрать двусмысленность. Есть случаи, когда без дефиса такие слова приобретают в одном и том же предложении совершенно другой смысл.
We encountered a man-eating bear. / Мы столкнулись с медведем, поедающим людей.
We encountered a man eating bear. / Мы столкнулись с человеком, пожирающим медведя.
Иногда на письме части одного составного прилагательного разделяются запятыми. В таком случае получится уже не одно сложное, а два простых определения. Чтобы решить, какой знак препинания стоит поставить, сначала прочитайте все высказывание вслух. При одинаковом значении возможны оба варианта использования. А при ином оттенке и изменившемся смысле сочетания запятую лучше не ставить.
He was a good, looking man. / Он был хорошим, красивым мужчиной.
He was a good-looking man. / Он был привлекательным мужчиной.
Никогда не пишутся через дефис составные прилагательные, в которые входят наречия на «ly». Такие слова всегда используются отдельно друг от друга, хотя они и образуют цельное словосочетание, обозначают единый признак одного предмета.
Newly free country. / Вновь свободная страна.
Internationally recognized singer. / Международно признанный певец.
Если входящее в состав слова наречие заканчивается не на «ly», а составное прилагательное при этом еще и стоит перед объектом, который оно иллюстрирует, то нужен будет дефис.
Виды составных прилагательных
Они могут означать качественную характеристику, отличительную черту, цветовую гамму и другие признаки предмета или одушевленного лица. В зависимости от этого выделяются тематические группы составных прилагательных:
- Цвета.
Snow-white. / Белоснежный.
Flesh-coloured. / Телесный.
Blue-black. / Сине-черный.
- Классификации.
Full-scale. / Полномасштабный.
Ready-made. / Готовый.
Interest-free. / Беспроцентный.
- Качества.
Kind-hearted. / Добрый.
Narrow-minded. / Узколобый.
Short-tempered. / Вспыльчивый.
- Количества.
Twenty-story building. / Двадцатиэтажное здание.
Six-month-old baby. / Полугодовалый малыш.
Hundred-dollar bill. / Стодолларовая купюра.
Разграничиваются составные прилагательные по разным характеристикам. Из-за того, это эта группа слов довольно подвижна, трудно выделить строгие рамки для каждого определения. Ведь его составные элементы можно легко поменять на другие части, что приведет к изменению смысла всего сочетания, а значит, и его вида.
Составные прилагательные активно используются носителями языка как в устной, так и в письменной речи. Эти слова заметно «оживляют» общение, добавляют в него ярких красок. Самое интересное, что для них не существует стабильной базы. Лексический фонд постоянно пополняется новыми грамматическими единицами, изобретают которые сами люди. Попробуйте и вы! Советуем выписывать составные прилагательные, которые будут вам встречаться, и активно использовать их в диалогах и на письме. Как только вы освоите основные модели их образования, вы сами сможете создавать подобные комбинации и делать ваши монологи индивидуальными. Они не только повышают ваш словарный запас, но и дают полное представление о структуре языка. Лучше их усвоить помогут курсы английского языка Wall Street English, где мы подробно разбираем все темы и детально отрабатываем пройденный материал на практике.