Prefixes
Prefixes are words or letters placed before a word to change the meaning of the word they are joined to. They can make the word negative, opposite, or can add extra meaning.
dis-
opposite of something, apart from:
dissimilar: “apart” from being similar
distract: draw “apart”
disrupt: burst “apart”
disorder: “apart” from orderliness
disquiet: “apart” from quiet
disappear: “apart” from being present
disease: “apart” from ease
disadvantage: “apart” from having an advantage
disinter: to take “apart” from being in the ground
dislocate: to take “apart” from the usual location
distrust: “apart” from being trustworthy
disinterested: “apart” from being interested
disband: when a band of people go “apart” from each other
discomfort: being “apart” from feeling comfortable
distant: stand “apart”
im-
opposite or negative of something:
immutable: cannot be changed.
impregnable: difficult to defeat or overcome
impeccable: perfect and impossible to criticize or “peck” at it.
impasse: a difficult situation in which progress is not possible, usually because none of the people involved are willing to agree.
immaculate: pure, or completely free from error.
impenetrable: cannot be penetrated by any means; this word can refer to parts of a building such as walls and doors—or to a problem that cannot be solved.
implausible: unlikely to be true; hard to believe
impromptu: unplanned or spontaneous
improvise: to make something up at once because an unexpected situation has arisen.
immobile: still, motionless, incapable of moving.
immediately: right away or at once.
immortal: not subject to death
immovable: not able or intended to be moved
impartial: showing lack of favoritism
impossible: not possible
mis-
to do something incorrectly:
misquote: difficult to defeat or overcome
misgender: using a word, especially a pronoun, that does not correctly reflect the gender with which a person identifies.
mistake: an action or judgement that is misguided or wrong
misplace: put in the wrong place (and lost it)
miscalculate: judge incorrectly
misconstrue: to understand or interpret something incorrectly
misdeed: improper or immoral behavior
misgiving: a doubt or uncertainty that you have about something, usually something that you are about to do.
miscount: count wrongly
hatred of something:
misanthrope: someone who hates and mistrusts people.
misogynist: someone who hates women or is highly critical about the female gender.
misanthropy: hatred of mankind
misogamy: hatred of marriage
misogyny: hatred of women
misogamist: a person who hates marriage
inter-
between, among:
interracial ‘between’ races, connection of races
intercede: to get involved in something on behalf of another person
international: ‘between’ nations
interfere: to get ‘between’ an activity without invitation
interconnected: linked ‘between’
internet: networks that exist ‘between’ each other
interoffice: ‘between’ offices
interstate: ‘between’ states
intersection: a cutting ‘between’ two sections
interscholastic: ‘between’ schools
intercept: burst ‘between’
intermission: time sent ‘between’
interrupt: burst ‘between’
interested: be ‘between’
interact: act ‘between’
out-
greater, better, further, longer
outnumber: have a larger number
outgrow: grow too big for something (can be psychically mentally or emotionally)
outlive: live longer than someone or something
outwit: deceive or defeat by greater wits
outside: beyond a limit
out-earn: earn more money than someone
outburst: sudden release of emotion, break out of the silence
out-drink: able to drink more than someone (usually referring to alcoholic beverages)
outcry: to shout, or a strong expression of disapproval or anger
outlaw: someone who has broken the law, outside of the law
outlast: has lasted longer than someone or something
outbreak: violent start of something unwelcome (a war, a disease, etc.)
outlandish: out of the ordinary, looking or sounding bizarre
out-of-the-box: outside of what some may have thought was the limit
outsource: obtain goods from a place other than your own
over-
extra, more, too much
overestimate: estimate something to be larger or better than it actually is
overweight: over the weight considered healthy or desirable
overexposed: shown too much or too often
overripe: too ripe, past it’s best date
overpass: a bridge with a road or railroad that passes over another road or railroad
overjoyed: extremely happy
overalls: a loose fitting garment worn over other clothes to protect from paint, dirt, etc.
overdose: to take more than the recommended amount of a drug
overdrive: to drive over the top or usual gear, or to perform very well
overstated: express ‘or state’ a thought too strongly
overachiever: someone who achieves more than the standard level
overreact: to respond more forcibly or emotionally than is justified or needed
overflow: excess or surplus not able to be contained
overworked: having to work beyond what is reasonable; worked to exhaustion
overprotective: too protective