The suffix “-less” is widely used in English to form adjectives that indicate the absence or lack of something. When the suffix “-less” is added to a word, it typically transforms the word into an adjective that means “without” the quality or thing represented by the root noun. The suffix can be added to both concrete and abstract nouns to describe a lack of that thing or quality.
1. Basic Rule of Adding “-less”
The suffix “-less” is generally added to nouns (both common and abstract) to describe something that is without or lacking that noun. Some nouns that can take “-less” include physical items, emotions, qualities, and states.
Here are detailed examples of words that can take “-less” to form adjectives and their meanings:
2. Examples of Nouns with “-less” Added to Form Adjectives
a. Harm + -less = Harmless
- Meaning: Without harm, not dangerous, or incapable of causing injury.
- Example: “The snake is harmless and poses no danger.”
b. Hope + -less = Hopeless
- Meaning: Without hope, despondent, or impossible to achieve.
- Example: “He felt hopeless after so many failures.”
c. Care + -less = Careless
- Meaning: Without care, negligent, or not paying attention to detail.
- Example: “His careless driving led to an accident.”
d. Power + -less = Powerless
- Meaning: Without power, lacking control or influence.
- Example: “The villagers were powerless against the flood.”
e. Fear + -less = Fearless
- Meaning: Without fear, brave, or courageous.
- Example: “The fearless soldier charged into battle.”
f. Rest + -less = Restless
- Meaning: Without rest, unable to relax or stay still, often due to anxiety.
- Example: “She felt restless during the long meeting.”
g. Luck + -less = Luckless
- Meaning: Without luck, unfortunate, or unlucky.
- Example: “After several failures, he felt luckless.”
h. Job + -less = Jobless
- Meaning: Without a job, unemployed.
- Example: “He became jobless after the company downsized.”
i. Child + -less = Childless
- Meaning: Without children, usually referring to people or couples.
- Example: “They chose to remain childless and focus on their careers.”
j. Truth + -less = Truthless
- Meaning: Lacking truth, false, or dishonest.
- Example: “The politician’s truthless statement caused public outrage.”
- Note: “Truthless” is rarely used in everyday language, but it could be used in certain contexts to describe something that lacks truth.
k. Heart + -less = Heartless
- Meaning: Without heart, cruel, or lacking compassion.
- Example: “The heartless thief took everything without a second thought.”
l. Noise + -less = Noiseless
- Meaning: Without noise, silent, or quiet.
- Example: “The library was noiseless as everyone studied.”
m. Skill + -less = Skillless
- Meaning: Without skill, lacking ability or expertise.
- Example: “The skillless apprentice struggled to finish the task.”
3. Uncommon or Less Frequently Used Examples
While many words can easily take the “-less” suffix, there are some that are less common or have limited usage. Nonetheless, they can still form valid adjectives in certain contexts:
a. Success + -less = Successless
- Meaning: Without success, unsuccessful, or a lack of achievement.
- Example: “The project was successless after repeated failures.”
- Note: This word is very rare and not commonly used; other words like unsuccessful are preferred.
b. Brightness + -less = Brightless
- Meaning: Without brightness, dull or lacking light.
- Example: “The brightless room gave off a gloomy atmosphere.”
- Note: “Brightless” is rarely used, and dim or dark are typically used instead.
c. Worth + -less = Worthless
- Meaning: Without worth, valueless, or of no value.
- Example: “The old coins were considered worthless by collectors.”
d. End + -less = Endless
- Meaning: Without end, infinite, or continuing indefinitely.
- Example: “They drove through an endless desert.”
e. Fear + -less = Fearless
- Meaning: Without fear, bold, or courageous.
- Example: “The fearless warrior stood firm in battle.”
4. More Complex or Abstract Nouns with “-less”
Some abstract or conceptual nouns can also take the “-less” suffix, especially when referring to a lack of abstract qualities or emotions.
a. Thought + -less = Thoughtless
- Meaning: Without thought, inconsiderate, or lacking consideration.
- Example: “Her thoughtless comments upset everyone.”
b. Hope + -less = Hopeless
- Meaning: Without hope, feeling of despair, or futile.
- Example: “They felt hopeless after losing everything in the fire.”
c. Speech + -less = Speechless
- Meaning: Without speech, unable to speak, or overwhelmed.
- Example: “He was speechless after hearing the good news.”
5. Exceptions: Words That Do Not Accept “-less”
While many nouns can take “-less” to form adjectives, not all nouns are compatible with the suffix. Certain words either do not work grammatically or are not commonly used with “-less”.
a. Food + -less: The word “foodless” doesn’t commonly exist, as “food” cannot easily be described as “without food.” Instead, terms like hungry or starving are used.
b. Time + -less: While “timeless” (without time) exists, “time-less” (indicating a lack of time) is not a common usage.
c. Water + -less: “Waterless” is used in some contexts (e.g., a “waterless desert”), but generally, “water” cannot combine with “-less” in most contexts.
6. Common Guidelines for Adding “-less”
- The suffix “-less” is added to nouns to form adjectives.
- It typically indicates a lack or absence of a quality or thing described by the noun.
- The resulting word is usually an adjective that provides a descriptive quality, such as hopeless, powerless, restless, etc.
- Some nouns, especially abstract ones or concepts, can take “-less” more easily (e.g., “careless,” “fearless”), while others may not form common or widely accepted adjectives (e.g., “truthless,” “luckless”).
Conclusion
The suffix “-less” is a productive and flexible way to form adjectives that describe the lack or absence of something. It can be added to both concrete and abstract nouns, transforming them into adjectives that convey a sense of deficiency or absence. While many words naturally accept the suffix, there are exceptions, and some combinations are less commonly used. As you can see, common words like harmless, careless, and jobless are widespread and essential in everyday language, while others, such as truthless and brightless, are rare and not widely used.