-ISH Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

-ish

a suffix used to form adjectives from nouns, with the sense of “belonging to” (British; Danish; English; Spanish ); “after the manner of,” “having the characteristics of,” “like” (babyish; girlish; mulish ); “addicted to,” “inclined or tending to” (bookish; freakish ); “near or about” (fiftyish; sevenish ).
a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives, with the sense of “somewhat,” “rather” (oldish; reddish; sweetish ).

-ish

a suffix occurring in i -stem verbs borrowed from French.
ravish.

ish

[ish]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

Informal.

(used to modify or moderate something previously stated or as a vague reply to a question) somewhat; in a way; not exactly: “Are you tired?” “Yeah...ish.”
It's a decent (ish) place to work.
“Are you tired?” “Yeah...ish.”
I'd like to get married. Ish.
near or about; approximately: It'll be a $25ish taxi ride.
The lights went out at 11-ish.
It'll be a $25ish taxi ride.

-ish

suffix

of or belonging to a nationality or group
Scottish
derogatory��having the manner or qualities of; resembling
slavish
prudish
boyish
somewhat; approximately
yellowish
sevenish
concerned or preoccupied with
bookish

ish

/ ɪʃ /

slang��used to express reservation or qualified assent
Things are looking up. Ish

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of -ish¹

Middle English; Old English -isc; cognate with German -isch, Old Norse -iskr, Gothic -isks, Greek diminutive noun suffix -isk(os); akin to -esque

Origin of -ish²

From French -iss-, extended stem of verbs with infinitives in -ir, ultimately from Latin -isc-, in verbs that express the beginning of an action or process

Origin of -ish³

First recorded in 1985–90; from -ish ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “somewhat”)

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of -ish¹

Old English -isc; related to German -isch, Greek -iskos

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“It’s round. It has a dough on the outside, almost like a pizza dough, kind of like, ish, thing. Inside is pasta and meatballs and salami. And then baked. And then, like with this,” he pauses, gently turning his hands, “flipped.”

From

She was wearing an elaborate white gown with a long train and pointy shoulders, and her braided blond hair was tucked beneath a headband for a vaguely “Midsommar”-ish look.

From

I’d rather lose on my own than have someone decide my fate for me, which sounds ‘Game of Thrones’-ish.

From

“These Walls” is a shimmering soft-rock jam with echoes of Fleetwood Mac, while “Anything for Love” starts out as a spare piano ballad before blossoming into chewy, “Off the Wall”-ish funk.

From

Quartz Hill 8, Chatsworth 3: Jeffrey Kavanagh went three for three and Ish Quintero struck out six in five innings for Quartz Hill.

From

Isfahan I shall return

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