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:

  1. dissimilar: “apart” from being similar

  2. distract: draw “apart”

  3. disrupt: burst “apart”

  4. disorder: “apart” from orderliness

  5. disquiet: “apart” from quiet

  6. disappear: “apart” from being present

  7. disease: “apart” from ease

  8. disadvantage: “apart” from having an advantage

  9. disinter: to take “apart” from being in the ground

  10. dislocate: to take “apart” from the usual location

  11. distrust: “apart” from being trustworthy

  12. disinterested: “apart” from being interested

  13. disband: when a band of people go “apart” from each other

  14. discomfort: being “apart” from feeling comfortable

  15. distant: stand “apart”

im-

opposite or negative of something:

  1. immutable: cannot be changed.

  2. impregnable: difficult to defeat or overcome

  3. impeccable: perfect and impossible to criticize or “peck” at it.

  4. impasse: a difficult situation in which progress is not possible, usually because none of the people involved are willing to agree.

  5. immaculate: pure, or completely free from error.

  6. 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.

  7. implausible: unlikely to be true; hard to believe

  8. impromptu: unplanned or spontaneous

  9. improvise: to make something up at once because an unexpected situation has arisen.

  10. immobile: still, motionless, incapable of moving.

  11. immediately: right away or at once.

  12. immortal: not subject to death

  13. immovable: not able or intended to be moved

  14. impartial: showing lack of favoritism

  15. impossible: not possible

mis-

to do something incorrectly:

  1. misquote: difficult to defeat or overcome

  2. misgender: using a word, especially a pronoun, that does not correctly reflect the gender with which a person identifies.

  3. mistake: an action or judgement that is misguided or wrong

  4. misplace: put in the wrong place (and lost it)

  5. miscalculate: judge incorrectly

  6. misconstrue: to understand or interpret something incorrectly

  7. misdeed: improper or immoral behavior

  8. misgiving: a doubt or uncertainty that you have about something, usually something that you are about to do.

  9. miscount: count wrongly

hatred of something:

  1. misanthrope: someone who hates and mistrusts people.

  2. misogynist: someone who hates women or is highly critical about the female gender.

  3. misanthropy: hatred of mankind

  4. misogamy: hatred of marriage

  5. misogyny: hatred of women

  6. misogamist: a person who hates marriage

inter-

between, among:

  1. interracial ‘between’ races, connection of races

  2. intercede: to get involved in something on behalf of another person

  3. international: ‘between’ nations

  4. interfere: to get ‘between’ an activity without invitation

  5. interconnected: linked ‘between’

  6. internet: networks that exist ‘between’ each other

  7. interoffice: ‘between’ offices

  8. interstate: ‘between’ states

  9. intersection: a cutting ‘between’ two sections

  10. interscholastic: ‘between’ schools

  11. intercept: burst ‘between’

  12. intermission: time sent ‘between’

  13. interrupt: burst ‘between’

  14. interested: be ‘between’

  15. interact: act ‘between’

out-

greater, better, further, longer

  1. outnumber: have a larger number

  2. outgrow: grow too big for something (can be psychically mentally or emotionally)

  3. outlive: live longer than someone or something

  4. outwit: deceive or defeat by greater wits

  5. outside: beyond a limit

  6. out-earn: earn more money than someone

  7. outburst: sudden release of emotion, break out of the silence

  8. out-drink: able to drink more than someone (usually referring to alcoholic beverages)

  9. outcry: to shout, or a strong expression of disapproval or anger

  10. outlaw: someone who has broken the law, outside of the law

  11. outlast: has lasted longer than someone or something

  12. outbreak: violent start of something unwelcome (a war, a disease, etc.)

  13. outlandish: out of the ordinary, looking or sounding bizarre

  14. out-of-the-box: outside of what some may have thought was the limit

  15. outsource: obtain goods from a place other than your own

over-

extra, more, too much

  1. overestimate: estimate something to be larger or better than it actually is

  2. overweight: over the weight considered healthy or desirable

  3. overexposed: shown too much or too often

  4. overripe: too ripe, past it’s best date

  5. overpass: a bridge with a road or railroad that passes over another road or railroad

  6. overjoyed: extremely happy

  7. overalls: a loose fitting garment worn over other clothes to protect from paint, dirt, etc.

  8. overdose: to take more than the recommended amount of a drug

  9. overdrive: to drive over the top or usual gear, or to perform very well

  10. overstated: express ‘or state’ a thought too strongly

  11. overachiever: someone who achieves more than the standard level

  12. overreact: to respond more forcibly or emotionally than is justified or needed

  13. overflow: excess or surplus not able to be contained

  14. overworked: having to work beyond what is reasonable; worked to exhaustion

  15. overprotective: too protective