More than 30 examples of compound adjectives in English

The English have great ability such as forming compound words, for them, it is a fairly simple process and it must be recognized that it is more widespread than in other languages. In English, the production of compound words can be of several kinds or types. In this article, we will talk about the creation of compound adjectives in English.

But … what is a compound word?

For English, a compound word is a word with a new meaning made up of two or more different words. This new word can take several forms :

• Single-word: tooth + brush = toothbrush
• Multiple hyphenated words: dry + clean = dry-clean
• Several single words: parking + ticket = parking ticket

What are compound adjectives?

A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words. In general, we place a hyphen between two or more words (before a noun) when we want them to act as a single idea (adjective) that describes something: I live in an English-speaking country.

The adjectives that have followed this process are called compound adjectives, or compound adjectives. The final word that makes up the compound word is usually an adjective, a participle, or a gerund, as in these examples, respectively:

• Homesick

Nostálgico.

• Birght-eyed

Ojos brillantes.

• Good-looking

Guapo.

Circumstances are often given for a prefixed noun whose function in the sentence is that of an adjective to appear:

• She submitted a six-page document.

Envió un documento de seis páginas.

• They bought a two-acre plot of land.

Compraron un terreno de dos acres.

• New Call-to-action.

Nueva llamada a la acción

Do not forget that they can also settle for several words.

• That is an all-too-common mistake.

Ese es un error muy común.

• They have a two-year-old daughter.

Tienen una hija de dos años.

• I didn’t like his matter-of-fact tone.

No me gustó su tono.

Creation guidelines

As a rule, when creating compound adjectives in English, the words will be joined by hyphens. This avoids the confusion that can arise when using several words as adjectives. For example:

• If we write Jealousy is a green-eyed monster: it could create confusion as to whether we are referring to a green-eyed monster or a green-eyed monster. Naturally, in this case, we can deduce it by context and with some ease; however, we can and should avoid possible ambiguity easily with a hyphen.

In this example there is no possible ambiguity:

• Jealousy is a green-eyed monster:

Los celos son un monstruo de ojos verdes

However, in this case, there is the ambiguity of whether we are talking about blue workers or blue-collar workers:

• They are blue-collar workers:

They are blue-collar workers: this expression refers to those workers who are engaged in manual work. Historically it was used to refer to workers in factories or workshops.

Unscripted

The hyphen is not included without we have an adverb that modifies an adjective because this time we are not talking about a compound word:

• He is terribly moody.

Tiene muy mal genio.

• That is an amazingly good idea.

Es una idea tremendamente buena.

Nor is the hyphen used when instead of a compound adjective, several adjectives are used chained :

• Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?

¿Quién teme al lobo feroz?

• I saw the tall Russian girl yesterday.

Ayer vi a la chica rusa alta.

Examples of compound adjectives used in sentences

• The illustration shows a one-winged angel.

En la ilustración sale un ángel con un ala.

• They are reviewing an award-winning bestseller.

Están reseñando un éxito en ventas premiado.

• This golden-framed mirror is a family heirloom.

Este espejo de marco dorado es herencia familiar.

• The star-spangled banner is another name for the American flag.

La bandera estadounidense también recibe el nombre de  «estandarte tachonado de estrellas».

Finally, we present here examples with the following composition

  Adjective / Adverb / Noun + Present Participle (-ING)

•  Good-looking = attractive, beautiful, handsome

Who’s that good-looking guy over there?

¿Quién es ese chico guapo de allí?

• Long-lasting

This long-lasting makeup will keep you looking lovely day and night.

Este maquillaje de larga duración te hará lucir hermosa de día y de noche.

•  Record-breaking

The athlete’s record-breaking performance won him the gold medal.

El rendimiento récord del atleta le valió la medalla de oro.

• Never-ending

Learning a language seems to be a never-ending process.

Aprender un idioma parece ser un proceso interminable.

•  Mouth-watering

There was a variety of mouth-watering desserts at the wedding reception.

Hubo una variedad de postres deliciosos en la recepción de la boda.

• Thought-provoking

It was a thought-provoking novel.

Fue una novela que invita a la reflexión.

• Slow-moving

I was stuck in slow-moving traffic for over an hour.

Estuve atrapado en el tráfico lento durante más de una hora.

• Far-reaching

The new law will have far-reaching effects in the economy.

La nueva ley tendrá efectos de gran alcance en la economía.

• Time-saving

These time-saving techniques will help you work more efficiently.

Estas técnicas para ahorrar tiempo lo ayudarán a trabajar de manera más eficiente.

• Forward-thinking

Some forward-thinking politicians are proposing reforms to the educational system.

Algunos políticos con visión de futuro están proponiendo reformas al sistema educativo.