-ish /ɪʃ/ suffix
[Language: Old English; Origin: -isc]

1. [in nouns] the people or language of a particular country or place:
Are the British unfriendly?
learning to speak Turkish
She’s Swedish.

2. [in adjectives] of a particular place:
Spanish food (=from Spain)

3. [in adjectives] typical of or like a particular type of person:
foolish behaviour (=typical of a fool)
Don’t be so childish! (=do not behave like a child)
snobbish

4. [in adjectives] the ending of some adjectives that show disapproval:
selfish

5. [in adjectives] rather Synonym : quite:
youngish (=not very young, but not old either)
tallish
reddish hair

6. [in adjectives] spoken approximately:
We’ll expect you eightish (=at about 8 o'clock).
He’s fortyish (=about 40 years old).

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲