English Prefixes
A (on, in)
States of Being/Condition
| abed (in bed) | afire (on fire) | aflame (in flames, burning) |
| ablaze (on fire, glowing) | aflutter (in a flutter, excited) | agog (in eager anticipation) |
| aghast (in shock, terrified) | aglow (glowing, radiant) | alive (in fire, living) |
| asleep (in sleep) | awake (in wakefulness) | aware (in a state of knowing) |
| askew (on a slant, crooked) | awry (in a turned, twisted direction, amiss) |
Position/Movement
| abroad (on board (ship, vehicle)) | aback (backward, toward the rear) | ahead (in front, forward) |
| aloft (up in the air) | alow (down below (nautical)) | ashore (on the shore) |
| afoot (on foot, in progress) | afield (in the field, away from home) | afloat (floating, on the water) |
| astride (on or across) | askance (in a sideways manner, suspiciously) | askent (sideways, slanting (archaic)) |
| aside (to the side) | apart (separately, away from) | around (in a circular position, nearby) |
| along (lengthwise, together) | aloof (at a distance, detached) | away (at a distance, off) |
| awheel (on a wheel (archaic, riding, or cycling)) | ahorse/ahorseback (on board a ship) | above deck (on the upper deck (nautical, archaic)) |
Manner/Style
| aloud (in a loud manner) | apace (in a fast manner, swiftly) | amain (with full force, vigorously (archaic)) |
| awry (in error, twisted) | askance (in suspicion, sideways) | athirst (in thirst eager (archaic)) |
| again (back, once more (from on + gean)) | aloose (in a loose state (archaic)) | askew (in a crooked manner) |
| afresh (in a new way) |
Rare/Poetic/Archaic
| abloom (in bloom) | aground (on the ground (of ships)) | agape (with mouth open, in wonder) |
| abustle (in a bustle, busy (rare)) | adrift (floating freely, without direction) | askelter/askantwise (titled, askew (dialectal)) |
| akimbo (with hands on hips, elbows out ) | abuzz (in a buzzing state) | adrift (in drifting state) |
| athwart (across, against (archaic, nautical)) | anear (near, close by (archaic)) | asunder (into separate parts) |
A (out, from)
Very Common
| abduct (lead away, kidnap) | absent (away, not present) | abnormal (away from normal) |
| abstract (drawn away, summary) | abuse (use wrongly, away from proper use) | abandon (to give up, put away) |
| absolve (set free from guilt) | abstain (hold away from) | absorb (suck away, take in) |
| abandonment (the act of giving up, leaving behind) |
Common Academic/Formal
| abject (castaway, degraded) | abjure (swear away, renounce) | abrogate (repeal, put away (laws, duties)) |
| ablate (wear away (medicine/physics)) | ablation (removal, carrying away) | abscission (cutting away, dropping (biology)) |
| abstruse (pushed away, hard to understand)) | abscond (hide away, depart secretly) | abstergent (cleansing, wiping away (rare, medical)) |
| absonant (out of harmony, discordant) |
Scientific/Technical
| abscind (to cut off, separate) | abscissa (a line cut off (geometry, X-axis in coordinates)) | abstrict (to draw away, separate) |
| abscopal (away from the target area (medicine, radiation biology)) | absinthium (wormwood (plant “cut off” bitterness → absinthe)) | abduce (to draw away (logic, medicine, archaic)) |
| absorption (taking in, drawing away into) |
Literary/Archaic
| abroach (set forth, out, away) | abraid (awaken, startle (old use as “tear away sleep”)) | abradement (removal, tearing away) |
| abusion (misuse) | abraideth (pulls away, startles (archaic poetic)) | abridgment (To cut away, to shorten) |
Be (about, around, by, thoroughly)
Be (about, around)
| belitter (to surround or cover with little things) | bemist (to envelop with mist) | bewrap (to wrap around) |
| begird (to encircle with a girdle or band) | begrime (to cover with grime) | besmoke (to cover with smoke) |
| becrust (to cover with a crust) | beplaster (to plaster all over) | bepaint (to paint over; cover with paint) |
| besiege (to surround with armed forces) | bemire (to cover with mire/mud) | bedrape (to drape all around) |
| beveil (to enshroud or veil about) | beclad (to clothe or cover) | betinsel (to cover with tinsel or glitter) |
| besnow (to cover with snow) | bestain (to stain all over) | bering (to encircle with a ring) |
Be (by, thoroughly)
| befriend (to act as a friend, to help thoroughly) | belove (to love thoroughly) | bemoan (to mourn deeply, lament) |
| beguile (to deceive thoroughly, mislead by charm) | belittle (to make seem less, to depreciate) | bemock (to mock thoroughly, ridicule) |
| berate (to scold or criticize ssharply) | beseech (to entreat earnestly, implore) | bespeak (to speak of, indicate, or arrangeby request) |
| betoken (to signify, indicate thoroughly) | bewail (to express deep sorrow over) | bewilder (to thoroughly confuse) |
| bewitch (to thoroughly enchant or charm) | befoul (to make foul, dirty) | besmirch (to soil, tarnish, sully reputation) |
| bespatter (to soil by spattering) | bestride (to sit or stand astride something) | betroth (to promise in marriage, pledge thoroughly) |
| beget (to generate, produce (by thoroughly causing)) | bequeath (to hand down or pass on by will) | betray (to deliver up treacherously, mislead thoroughly) |
| behold (to look at closely, thoroughly) | belaborto attack verbally or physically at length) | behoove (to be necessary for, to be thoroughly fitting) |
| belie (to misrepresent, give a false impression) | beshrew (to curse thoroughly) | bestow (to give, present, confer (thoroughly place)) |
| bereave (to deprive, usually by death) | beset (to trouble or attack persistently) | besiege (to surround or attack thoroughly) |
| bethink (to cause oneself to think, reflect carefully) | betimes (in good time, promptly) | betide (to happen, occur, behalf) |
| betake (to resort to, apply oneself to) | beshadow (to overshadow, darken) | bescorch (to scorch thoroughly) |
| bescumber (to soil with filth) | bestraddle (to stand or sit astride something) | beweep (to weep over thoroughly) |
For (thoroughly)
| forbear (to completely restrain oneself from doing something) | forbearance (complete patience and self-control) | forbid (to utterly prohibit) |
| forbidding (completely discouraging or repelling in appearance) | forfeit (to completely lose something as a penalty) | forget (to completely lose memory of something) |
| forgive (to completely pardon; to release resentment) | forgiveness (the complete act of pardoning) | forgo (forego) (to do entirely without something) |
| forsake (to abandon totally; to renounce) | forswear (to utterly renounce or deny (especially under oath) | forlorn (completely hopeless, pitifully sad) |
| forlornness (complete desolation or abandonment) | fordone (utterly done in; ruined or exhausted (archaic) | forworn (completely worn out or weary) |
| forwearied (thoroughly tired; worn out) | forspent (completely spent or exhausted (archaic) | forlaid (thoroughly ambushed or trapped) |
| forpined (completely wasted away by suffering) | forprized (utterly despised or undervalued) | forwasted (thoroughly wasted or ruined) |
| forlived (completely worn out by life | forblown (completely blown out or exhausted) | forgrown (completely overgrown) |
| forrutted (thoroughly dirtied (obsolete) | forcharred (completely burned up (rare) | fordone (completely destroyed or overcome) |
| forspentness (state of being totally exhausted) |
Fore (before)
| forehead (the part of the face before the head) | forefinger (the finger before the others; the index finger) | forelock (a lock of hair growing at the front of the head) |
| forefront (the leading or most forward position) | forepart (the front part of something) | forebody (the front section of a body or structure) |
| forecourt (an open area before a building) | foreground (the part of a scene nearest the viewer) | foredeck (the deck before the main mast of a ship) |
| forecastle (the forward part of a ship (crew quarters) | foremast (the mast nearest the bow (front) of a ship) | forepeak (the compartment in the bow of a ship) |
| foreleg (the front leg of an animal) | forewing (the front wing of an insect or bird) | forefoot (the front foot of a quadruped) |
| foreedge (the front edge of a book’s pages) | foreface (the front part of an animal’s head) | forebrain (the front part of the brain) |
| foreland (a projecting land area; headland) | forepeak (the forward-most compartment of a ship) | forebridge (the forward part of a ship’s bridge) |
| foredoor (the front door) | foreyard (the yard on the foremast of a ship) | forebay (a water channel before a mill wheel or reservoir) |
| foreplane (a forward wing or surface of an aircraft) | forehold (the front cargo hold of a ship) | forefather (ancestor; one who came before) |
| forebear (ancestor) | foremother (female ancestor) | foreman (the person before others in charge; supervisor) |
| forewoman (female leader or supervisor) | foreperson (gender-neutral form of foreman) | foremost (first in rank or importance) |
| foreleader (one who leads or goes before) | foregoer (one who goes before; predecessor) | forerunner (a person or thing that comes before another) |
| forerunner (same as above) | foreguard (the troops stationed before others; vanguard) | forefrontman (one who is at the front or leading position) |
| forechamber (a chamber before the main one) | forecourtier (one who precedes another in a royal court) |
Gain (against)
| Gainstand (to resist, oppose, stand against) | Gainstrive (to strive or contend against) | Gaincope (to cope or contend against, to fight with) |
| Gaincall (to call against, contradict, or reply in opposition) | Gaincome (to come against, oppose, attack) | Gaincry (to cry out against, to protest) |
| Gainturn (to turn against, act contrary to) | Gainrise (to rise up against, rebel) | Gainbite (to bite against; figuratively “to repent”) |
| Gainfay (to deny, to speak against) | Gainlay (to lay against, to contradict, to oppose) | Gainword (to speak against, contradict, oppose in speech) |
| Gainthink (to think against, to be of opposite opinion) | Gainwithsay (to speak against, to oppose) | Gainsay (to speak or act against; to contradict) |
| Gainseam (to sew against, to join in reverse) | Gainbuy (to buy back or to buy in opposition) | Gainwork (to work against or in reverse direction) |
| Gainfast (to hold fast against, resist firmly) | Gainfall (to fall back or fall against) | Gainfare (to fare against; to go contrary) |
| Gaingo (to go against; to return or go back) | Gainhold (to hold against; to withstand) | Gainlove (to feel against or contrary to love) |
| Gainmove (to move against or in the opposite direction) |
In (in)
| Include (to take in or contain as a part) | Inject (to force (a liquid) into something) | Insert (to put or place into something) |
| Inhale (to breathe in) | Inhabit (to live in or occupy) | Inflate (to fill with air or gas) |
| Inscribe (to write or carve words onto something) | Infuse (to pour in; to fill or soak) | Immerse (to put something completely into a liquid) |
| Implant (to insert or fix deeply in something) | Imbibe (to take in (especially liquid or knowledge) | Import (to bring goods or ideas into a country) |
| Impress (to make a mark on or affect deeply) | Immerge (to plunge or dip into liquid) | Incise (to cut into something) |
| Infix (to insert or fix firmly inside) | Infiltrate (to move gradually into an area or group) | Involve (to include or take part in something) |
| Ingress (the act of going in or entering) | Incorporate (to combine into one body or whole) | Induct (to formally admit or bring into an organization) |
| Inscribe (to write on or engrave into a surface) | Influx (a flowing in of people, things, or ideas) | Inform (to give knowledge or shape to something/someone) |
| Infest (to overrun or be present in large numbers within something) |
Mis (wrong, wrongly)
| misapply (to apply wrongly) | misbehave (to behave wrongly or badly) | miscalculate (to calculate wrongly) |
| miscarry (to carry out wrongly; (also refers to a failed pregnancy) | miscommunicate (to communicate wrongly or unclearly) | misjudge (to judge wrongly) |
| mislead (to lead in a wrong direction) | misplace (to put in the wrong place | misprint (to print wrongly) |
| misspell (to spell wrongly) | misunderstand (to understand wrongly) | misuse (to use wrongly) |
| misinterpret (to interpret wrongly) | misinform (to give wrong information) | misquote (to quote wrongly) |
| misrepresent (to represent wrongly or falsely) | mishear (to hear wrongly) | misread (to read wrongly) |
| mismanage (to manage badly or wrongly) | mistrust (to trust wrongly or lack trust) | misstate (to state wrongly) |
| miscalculate (to make an incorrect calculation) | misfire (to fail to function properly) | misdiagnose (to diagnose wrongly) |
| misguide (to guide wrongly) | misname (to name wrongly) | misidentify (to identify wrongly) |
| misalign (to align wrongly) | miscount (to count wrongly) | misconceive (to conceive or form an idea wrongly) |
| misconstrue (to interpret wrongly) | miscopy (to copy wrongly) | misdate (to give a wrong date) |
| misdirect (to send or direct wrongly) | misfile (to file in the wrong place) | misfit (something that doesn’t fit correctly) |
| misfunction (to function wrongly) | misgovern (to govern wrongly) | mishandle (to handle wrongly or badly) |
| mishit (to hit wrongly or badly) | misinform (to provide false or incorrect information) | misjudge (to form a wrong opinion or judgment) |
| mislead (to deceive or guide wrongly) | mismanage (to manage inefficiently or wrongly) | mismatch (to match wrongly or poorly) |
| misplace (to put in the wrong place or lose temporarily) | misprint (an error in printing) | missay (to say wrongly) |
| misshape (to shape wrongly) | misspend (to spend wrongly or wastefully) |
Over (above, beyond)
| Overhead (above the head; in the sky or higher position) | Overlook (to look down from above; to fail to notice) | Oversee (to supervise; to watch from above) |
| Overcome (to rise above a difficulty; to conquer) | Overthrow (to throw beyond; to remove from power) | Overhang (to hang above or beyond something) |
| Overpass (a bridge that crosses above another road or railway) | Overfly (to fly above something) | Overland (across the land; by land rather than by sea or air) |
| Overboard (from above a ship into the water) | Overcast (covered above by clouds) | Overarch (to form an arch above) |
| Overreach (to stretch beyond; to go too far) | Overrun (to go beyond a limit or boundary) | Overtop (to be higher than; to rise above) |
| Overburden (to load beyond capacity) | Overextend (to stretch or expand beyond proper limits) | Overdrive (to drive beyond normal limits or power) |
| Overreact (to react beyond what is appropriate) | Overstep (to go beyond the proper limit) | Overstretch (to stretch beyond capacity) |
| Overreach (to go beyond one’s grasp or ability) | Overgrow (to grow above or beyond something) | Overspread (to spread above or over) |
| Overarch (to form an arch above or span) | Overbridge (a bridge crossing above a road or railway) | Overhead (situated above the level of the head; high up) |
| Overland (traveling across or beyond land) | Overleap (to leap over or beyond something) | Overlie (to lie above or on top of) |
| Overmount (to rise or tower above) | Overplane (to fly higher than the intended level) | Overfloat (to float above or on the surface of) |
| Overbridge (a bridge crossing above a road or railway) | Overclimb (to climb beyond or higher than) | Overcross (to cross over or beyond something) |
| Overglaze (a glaze applied over the top surface) | Overlayer (a layer placed above another) | Overmountain (extending beyond or over a mountain range) |
| Overroof (to roof above; to cover with a roof) | Overshadow (to cast a shadow over; to appear above and dim another) | Overarchway (a structure arching above a passage) |
| Overclothe (to cover from above with clothing or fabric) | Overcover (to cover completely or from above) | Overflank (to extend beyond the side of something) |
| Overhang (to project or extend above or beyond) |
To (this)
| today (this day) | tonight (this night) | tomorrow (this (coming) day / next day) |
| tonow (this very moment / now) | toweek (this week) | toweekend (this weekend) |
| tomorn (this morning / the coming morning) | tomorning (this coming morning) | tomidday (this midday or this noon) |
| toevening (this evening) | tothisday (to this day) | toweekday (this weekday) |
| toseason (this season) |
Un (to reverse an action; not, opposite of)
Un (to reverse an action)
| undo (to cancel, reverse, or annul an action) | unfasten (to open or release something that was fastened) | unbutton (to open by undoing buttons) |
| unlock (to open by releasing a lock) | untie (to loosen or free something tied) | unzip (to open by undoing a zipper) |
| unlace (to loosen or undo laces) | unwrap (to remove the wrapping or covering) | unroll (to roll out something that was rolled up) |
| unplug (to disconnect from an electrical socket or device) | unscrew (to loosen or remove by turning in the opposite direction) | unwind (to undo something wound up; also, to relax) |
| unfold (to open from a folded state) | unseal (to open something that was sealed or closed) | unbolt (to open by removing or sliding back a bolt) |
| unchain (to free from chains or restraints) | unclip (to release from a clip) | unhook (to detach from a hook) |
| unload (to remove a load or cargo) | unpack (to remove items from a packed container) | uncover (to remove a cover; to reveal) |
| unmask (to remove a mask; to expose) | untie (to loosen or undo laces) | unwrap (to remove the wrapping or covering) |
| unsnap (to open by undoing a snap) | unstuck (to release something that was stuck) | untangle (to free something from tangles) |
| unclasp (to release or open a clasp) | unhinge (to remove from hinges; figuratively, to unsettle) | unleash (to release from a lease; to set free) |
| unearth (to dig up or bring to light) | unglue (to separate something stuck with glue) | unjam (to clear a jam or blockage) |
| unmake (to reverse or destroy what has been made) | unpin (to remove a pin fastening) | unseat (to remove from a seat or position) |
| unstring (to remove strings; to loosen or disable) | unstrap (to release by undoing a strap) | unshackle (to release from shackles or restraints) |
| untwist (to reverse twisting; to straighten) | unfreeze (to thaw; to make unfrozen) |
Un (not, opposite of)
| unable (not able; lacking the power, skill, or means) | unfair (not fair; unjust) | unkind (not kind; inconsiderate or harsh) |
| unusual (not usual; rare or uncommon) | unclear (not clear; hard to understand) | unfit (not suitable or not in good physical/mental condition) |
| unlucky (having bad luck; unfortunate) | uncertain (not certain; doubtful or unsure) | unequal (not equal; not the same in amount, size, or status) |
| unready (not ready; unprepared) | unsafe (not safe; dangerous) | untrue (not true; false) |
| unwanted (not wanted; not desired) | unwise (not wise; foolish) | unspoken (not said aloud; implied or understood) |
| unnecessary (not needed) | unreal (not real; imaginary or unbelievable) | unworthy (not deserving respect or attention) |
| unwilling (not willing; reluctant) | unjust (not just; unfair) | unclean (not clean; dirty) |
| unbroken (not broken; whole, continuous) | unending (not ending; endless) | unlimited (not limited; without restriction) |
| unselfish (not selfish; putting others first) | unnatural (not natural; artificial, abnormal, or forced) | unthinkable (not thinkable; unimaginable, inconceivable) |
| unforgettable (not forgettable; memorable) | unfortunate (not fortunate; unlucky, regrettable) |
Under (beneath, below)
| underarm (beneath the arm) | underbelly (the underside of an animal/body) | underbody (the bottom part of a body) |
| underbrush (shrubs/small plants growing beneath taller trees) | undercarriage (the bottom supporting structure of a vehicle) | undercurrent (a hidden current beneath the surface of water) |
| underdeveloped (beneath the expected level of development) | underfoot (beneath one’s feet) | underground (beneath the surface of the ground) |
| underhand (beneath the level of the hand) | underlay (a material placed beneath something) | underlie (to lie beneath or be the basis of) |
| underling (one of lower status; a subordinate) | underneath (directly beneath) | underpass (a passage that goes beneath another road/railway) |
| undersea (beneath the sea) | undershirt (a shirt worn beneath another) | underside (the lower surface of something) |
| underwater (beneath the water surface) | underworld (the world beneath the earth) | underbridge (bridge that passes under another structure) |
| underclothing (garments worn beneath outer clothing) | undercoat (coat of paint beneath another or an animal’s inner fur) | underdress (a dress worn beneath another garment) |
| underfloor (beneath the floor) | underhung (suspended from below) | underlayer (a layer beneath another) |
| underpart (a lower or beneath part of something) | underpit (to excavate beneath something) | underprint (print beneath another impression.) |
| underroof (the structure beneath the roof covering) | undersoil (the soil beneath the topsoil) | understorey/ understory (layer of vegetation beneath the forest canopy) |
| undertone (a subdued sound beneath another; a hidden meaning) | undertow (a subsurface current of water moving in a different direction) |
With (against back)
| withdraw (to pull back, take away) | withstand (to resist, hold out against) | withhold (to keep back, refuse to give) |
| withdraw (drawn back, reserved) | withdrawal (the act of pulling back) | withspeak (to contradict, oppose in speech) |
| withsay (to deny, contradict, speak against) | withheld (kept back,) | withstandeth (resist, stands against) |
| withal (in addition, nevertheless) | withering (causing to shrivel up, figuratively striking back) | withsay (to deny, contradict) |
| withspeak (to oppose in speech) | with swerve (to turn away, swerve back) | withspend (to waste, use up against) |
| withset (to resist, oppose) | withstand (to resist) | withstrike (to strike back) |
| withfight (to fight against) | withfare (to go against, oppose) | withwork (to work against, oppose in effort) |
| withbite (to reproach, censure) | withcleave (to split apart, cleave against) |