-eous

Pronunciation

• GenAm enPR: -Ä“É™s, IPA: /-i.É™s/
• RP enPR: -Ä­É™s, IPA: /-ɪəs/

From earlier -uous, alteration of -wose, -wos, a variant of -wise, from Middle English -wise, -wis, -wys, from Old English -wīs ("-wise"). More at -wise.

Full definition of -eous

Suffix

1. Used with nouns to form adjectives with the sense of resembling to or having the characteristics of the suffixed term; similar to -ous.''righteous, mighteous, thefteous, lighteous, misteous, timeous, wrongeous

Chiefly from -ous with preceding vowel (compare -ious); compare also Latin -eus; but also by concatenation with English -te (an earlier form of -ty).

Suffix

1. Used to form adjectives meaning resembling or having characteristics of the related term.

Related terms

• -aceous
• -aneous
• -ious
• -uous

Derived terms