Adjectives are words we use to describe things. English teachers usually describe them as words that “modify or describe nouns and pronouns”. There are numerous types of adjectives, and most of them are a single word (e.g., beautiful, silly, playful).
What are compound adjectives?
Similar to compound nouns, compound adjectives consist of two or more words, often connected by a hyphen (or hyphens). Some examples of compound adjectives are: absent-minded, happy-go-lucky, short-term, and blue-collar.
Though they comprise two or more words, compound adjectives act as a single unit of thought or description.
ice-cold(as in, “an ice-cold beer”)world-famous(as in, “a world-famous author”)sugar-free(as in, “a sugar-free diet”)
How to use compound adjectives
Aside from the hyphen, compound adjectives are much like other adjectives and usually come directly before the word they modify. They are typically hyphenated before a noun, though some may be hyphenated even when used as predicate adjectives. They can combine nouns, adjectives, verbs, or numerals.
How to form compound adjectives?
To recap: Any time two (or more) words combine to describe a noun, it’s a compound adjective. We form them by combining nouns with participles (like “time-saving”), numbers with nouns or adjectives (like “two-year-old”), or adjectives with adjectives (like “high-quality”).
They appear directly before the noun they modify (e.g., “a short-term loan”). They can also be used as predicate adjectives, following a linking verb and changing the subject (e.g., “The house was well-maintained”).
| Part of speech | Examples |
| Adjective + Adjective: | absent-minded (as in, “an absent-minded professor”)happy-go-lucky (as in, “a happy-go-lucky attitude”) |
| Noun + Adjective + Adjective: | long-term investment (as in, “a long-term investment plan”) |
| Numeral + Adjective: | two-year-old (as in, “a two-year-old puppy”)eight-hour (as in, “an eight-hour shift”) |
Hyphens with compound adjectives
The general rule of thumb is to hyphenate between two or more words (before a noun) when we want them to act as a single idea (and adjective).
Examples of compound adjectives
- He is a hard-working student.
- She is a fast-talking woman.
- The house was old-fashioned.
- He has a good-natured personality.
- She is a well-dressed woman.
- The computer was state-of-the-art.
Learn about other parts of speech
- What Are Pronouns? (First, Second, and Third)
- Types of Verbs (Modal, Stative, Infinitives, and Transitives)
- Parts of Speech (Nouns, Adjectives, Prepositions)
- What’s an Adverb? (Types of Adverbs)
- When to Use A or An (What’s an Article?)
- Types of Nouns (Common, Proper, Abstract, and Concrete)
Sources
- Compounds with superlatives. Grammarly.
