What does the same-ish mean?Use of the suffix -ishWhat does “rather” mean in “rather Jimmy Olsen-ish”?“Underperform the debt”What does “Honeykins” mean?Intensifiers: Which one intensifies to the highest degree, and which one to the lowest?Are the verbs “parlay” and “draw on” interchangeable?Chill wind or Chilly windWhat's the difference between 'bluffing', 'bragging' and 'showing off'Is the phrase “repeat again” always symmantically when requesting a repetition?The spelling rule of -ment

Are astronomers waiting to see something in an image from a gravitational lens that they've already seen in an adjacent image?

RSA: Danger of using p to create q

What doth I be?

How to determine what difficulty is right for the game?

Codimension of non-flat locus

Rock identification in KY

What defenses are there against being summoned by the Gate spell?

Replacing matching entries in one column of a file by another column from a different file

Paid for article while in US on F-1 visa?

DC-DC converter from low voltage at high current, to high voltage at low current

Convert two switches to a dual stack, and add outlet - possible here?

How is the claim "I am in New York only if I am in America" the same as "If I am in New York, then I am in America?

How can bays and straits be determined in a procedurally generated map?

If human space travel is limited by the G force vulnerability, is there a way to counter G forces?

Cross compiling for RPi - error while loading shared libraries

Why do I get two different answers for this counting problem?

What does the "remote control" for a QF-4 look like?

Can you really stack all of this on an Opportunity Attack?

Filter any system log file by date or date range

Are the number of citations and number of published articles the most important criteria for a tenure promotion?

How old can references or sources in a thesis be?

Important Resources for Dark Age Civilizations?

Perform and show arithmetic with LuaLaTeX

What's the point of deactivating Num Lock on login screens?



What does the same-ish mean?


Use of the suffix -ishWhat does “rather” mean in “rather Jimmy Olsen-ish”?“Underperform the debt”What does “Honeykins” mean?Intensifiers: Which one intensifies to the highest degree, and which one to the lowest?Are the verbs “parlay” and “draw on” interchangeable?Chill wind or Chilly windWhat's the difference between 'bluffing', 'bragging' and 'showing off'Is the phrase “repeat again” always symmantically when requesting a repetition?The spelling rule of -ment






.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;








8















I encounter such a sentence in a homework assignment:




It seems that the burn-in is adequate, that they are all converging to
the same-ish posteriour value, and that there is good mixing.




I don't know if the -ish is appended here just to reduce the extent of sameness? Is it just a synonym of similar or alike and etc?



And can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?










share|improve this question



















  • 3





    ish = 'or thereabouts'

    – mcalex
    Apr 2 at 9:16






  • 2





    Whenever I hear someone say 'this-or-that-ish', I append in my mind the words: 'Well, sort of!'

    – yunzen
    Apr 2 at 9:19












  • "... they are all converging to similar posterior(u)r values". And "same-ish" would imply that they values were similar enough for whatever purpose they were being used.

    – alephzero
    Apr 2 at 13:24






  • 1





    I agree with your conclusion that it "reduces the extent of X-ness". In this sentence I would replace "the same-ish" by "almost the same" or "roughly the same"

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago






  • 1





    To the extent of my Chinese knowledge, it means "差不多”

    – The Photon
    2 days ago

















8















I encounter such a sentence in a homework assignment:




It seems that the burn-in is adequate, that they are all converging to
the same-ish posteriour value, and that there is good mixing.




I don't know if the -ish is appended here just to reduce the extent of sameness? Is it just a synonym of similar or alike and etc?



And can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?










share|improve this question



















  • 3





    ish = 'or thereabouts'

    – mcalex
    Apr 2 at 9:16






  • 2





    Whenever I hear someone say 'this-or-that-ish', I append in my mind the words: 'Well, sort of!'

    – yunzen
    Apr 2 at 9:19












  • "... they are all converging to similar posterior(u)r values". And "same-ish" would imply that they values were similar enough for whatever purpose they were being used.

    – alephzero
    Apr 2 at 13:24






  • 1





    I agree with your conclusion that it "reduces the extent of X-ness". In this sentence I would replace "the same-ish" by "almost the same" or "roughly the same"

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago






  • 1





    To the extent of my Chinese knowledge, it means "差不多”

    – The Photon
    2 days ago













8












8








8


2






I encounter such a sentence in a homework assignment:




It seems that the burn-in is adequate, that they are all converging to
the same-ish posteriour value, and that there is good mixing.




I don't know if the -ish is appended here just to reduce the extent of sameness? Is it just a synonym of similar or alike and etc?



And can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?










share|improve this question
















I encounter such a sentence in a homework assignment:




It seems that the burn-in is adequate, that they are all converging to
the same-ish posteriour value, and that there is good mixing.




I don't know if the -ish is appended here just to reduce the extent of sameness? Is it just a synonym of similar or alike and etc?



And can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?







grammar word-usage adjectives suffixes






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Apr 2 at 15:10









J.R.

100k8129249




100k8129249










asked Apr 2 at 7:53









Lerner ZhangLerner Zhang

89611129




89611129







  • 3





    ish = 'or thereabouts'

    – mcalex
    Apr 2 at 9:16






  • 2





    Whenever I hear someone say 'this-or-that-ish', I append in my mind the words: 'Well, sort of!'

    – yunzen
    Apr 2 at 9:19












  • "... they are all converging to similar posterior(u)r values". And "same-ish" would imply that they values were similar enough for whatever purpose they were being used.

    – alephzero
    Apr 2 at 13:24






  • 1





    I agree with your conclusion that it "reduces the extent of X-ness". In this sentence I would replace "the same-ish" by "almost the same" or "roughly the same"

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago






  • 1





    To the extent of my Chinese knowledge, it means "差不多”

    – The Photon
    2 days ago












  • 3





    ish = 'or thereabouts'

    – mcalex
    Apr 2 at 9:16






  • 2





    Whenever I hear someone say 'this-or-that-ish', I append in my mind the words: 'Well, sort of!'

    – yunzen
    Apr 2 at 9:19












  • "... they are all converging to similar posterior(u)r values". And "same-ish" would imply that they values were similar enough for whatever purpose they were being used.

    – alephzero
    Apr 2 at 13:24






  • 1





    I agree with your conclusion that it "reduces the extent of X-ness". In this sentence I would replace "the same-ish" by "almost the same" or "roughly the same"

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago






  • 1





    To the extent of my Chinese knowledge, it means "差不多”

    – The Photon
    2 days ago







3




3





ish = 'or thereabouts'

– mcalex
Apr 2 at 9:16





ish = 'or thereabouts'

– mcalex
Apr 2 at 9:16




2




2





Whenever I hear someone say 'this-or-that-ish', I append in my mind the words: 'Well, sort of!'

– yunzen
Apr 2 at 9:19






Whenever I hear someone say 'this-or-that-ish', I append in my mind the words: 'Well, sort of!'

– yunzen
Apr 2 at 9:19














"... they are all converging to similar posterior(u)r values". And "same-ish" would imply that they values were similar enough for whatever purpose they were being used.

– alephzero
Apr 2 at 13:24





"... they are all converging to similar posterior(u)r values". And "same-ish" would imply that they values were similar enough for whatever purpose they were being used.

– alephzero
Apr 2 at 13:24




1




1





I agree with your conclusion that it "reduces the extent of X-ness". In this sentence I would replace "the same-ish" by "almost the same" or "roughly the same"

– Michael Kay
2 days ago





I agree with your conclusion that it "reduces the extent of X-ness". In this sentence I would replace "the same-ish" by "almost the same" or "roughly the same"

– Michael Kay
2 days ago




1




1





To the extent of my Chinese knowledge, it means "差不多”

– The Photon
2 days ago





To the extent of my Chinese knowledge, it means "差不多”

– The Photon
2 days ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















18














Adding an '-ish' at the end of a word is generally done in informal contexts, mostly to make the reference sound deliberately vague and approximate. (Source)



Here, the speaker has added the suffix because he isn't completely sure of the similarity with the posterior value.



You can add the suffix to words, to bring about a hint of uncertainty. For example,




Person 1 : What time is it?
Person 2 : I don't know. I think it should be around twelve-ish?





Update



As pointed out by Michael Kay, if the adjective points to an extreme, then '-ish' implies less extreme; 'small-ish' is less small than small; 'cold-ish' is less cold than cold; 'same-ish' is less similar than same. So '-ish' not only conveys approximation but can also assign less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.






share|improve this answer




















  • 2





    Note that if the adjective points to an extreme, then -ish implies less extreme; small-ish is less small than small; cold-ish is less cold than cold; same-ish is less similar than same. So it's not just approximate or vague; it's explicitly assigning less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago


















2














Another answer already explains the meaning of -ish, but I'd like to address this question you also asked:




can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?




My answer to that would be: perhaps – but don't overdo it.



The suffix works well for some adjectives, such as colors:




They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats, giving sloths a greenish tint that can be used as camouflage in the trees. (Indianapolis Star, 2018)




However, I would NOT recommend applying the suffix haphazardly to just about any adjective. There are many cases where an -ish suffix would sound, well, amateurish, where it would probably be better to avoid using it, especially in formal contexts.



For example, consider size adjectives. Adjectives that connote extremes (such as tiny, infinitesimal, massive, or vast) don't work very well with -ish, and the ngrams reflect that.



Also, if a friend asked if I was hungry, I suppose I could say, "I'm hungryish," but most natives would opt for a phrase like, "I'm kind of hungry," or "I'm a little hungry," instead, and the ngrams support that, too.



Other adjectives that sound odd with -ish would include: delicious, tired, or miserable, but faint and loud seem to work okay:




Two-thirds the way along the Arcturus-to-Vega line brings you to a pattern of four faintish stars resembling the shape of the stone block (The Telegraph, 2017)



On Monday night, a few dozen noodleists came out for cocktails, soup, loudish Ramones and the bar's retro, antique-radio vibe. (New York Times, 2014).




If your spellchecker puts a red squiggly line under a word with -ish, it might be better to use an adverb like rather instead. (For example: He was rather thirsty after the game might be a safer option than He was thirstyish after the game.)






share|improve this answer


















  • 2





    often when writing, people (at least in Britain), place a hyphen before the -ish suffix. There is a well known brand of ready made sauces in the UK, and they used to have TV ads featuring the same family. One seasonal ad played on the fact that people would have leftover turkey for some time after Christmas. The mother announced at supper time that they were having curry. The daughter speaks for them all when she says "It isn't turkey again, is it?" Mother says "Well, it's turk-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:32







  • 1





    Some devout UK Jews describe themselves thus and denounce their less fervent brethren as being "Jew-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:35












  • The reason "massive-ish" doesn't work very well is because "massive" means "very big" and "ish" means" not very", so "massive-ish" contradictory.

    – Acccumulation
    2 days ago











  • Isn't there an extra "that" in "They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats"? I see you are quoting the Indianapolis Star word by word, but I think it's a copy/paste error from the original National Geographic article

    – Fabio Turati
    2 days ago











Your Answer








StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "481"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);

else
createEditor();

);

function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);



);













draft saved

draft discarded


















StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f203478%2fwhat-does-the-same-ish-mean%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown

























2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes








2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









18














Adding an '-ish' at the end of a word is generally done in informal contexts, mostly to make the reference sound deliberately vague and approximate. (Source)



Here, the speaker has added the suffix because he isn't completely sure of the similarity with the posterior value.



You can add the suffix to words, to bring about a hint of uncertainty. For example,




Person 1 : What time is it?
Person 2 : I don't know. I think it should be around twelve-ish?





Update



As pointed out by Michael Kay, if the adjective points to an extreme, then '-ish' implies less extreme; 'small-ish' is less small than small; 'cold-ish' is less cold than cold; 'same-ish' is less similar than same. So '-ish' not only conveys approximation but can also assign less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.






share|improve this answer




















  • 2





    Note that if the adjective points to an extreme, then -ish implies less extreme; small-ish is less small than small; cold-ish is less cold than cold; same-ish is less similar than same. So it's not just approximate or vague; it's explicitly assigning less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago















18














Adding an '-ish' at the end of a word is generally done in informal contexts, mostly to make the reference sound deliberately vague and approximate. (Source)



Here, the speaker has added the suffix because he isn't completely sure of the similarity with the posterior value.



You can add the suffix to words, to bring about a hint of uncertainty. For example,




Person 1 : What time is it?
Person 2 : I don't know. I think it should be around twelve-ish?





Update



As pointed out by Michael Kay, if the adjective points to an extreme, then '-ish' implies less extreme; 'small-ish' is less small than small; 'cold-ish' is less cold than cold; 'same-ish' is less similar than same. So '-ish' not only conveys approximation but can also assign less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.






share|improve this answer




















  • 2





    Note that if the adjective points to an extreme, then -ish implies less extreme; small-ish is less small than small; cold-ish is less cold than cold; same-ish is less similar than same. So it's not just approximate or vague; it's explicitly assigning less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago













18












18








18







Adding an '-ish' at the end of a word is generally done in informal contexts, mostly to make the reference sound deliberately vague and approximate. (Source)



Here, the speaker has added the suffix because he isn't completely sure of the similarity with the posterior value.



You can add the suffix to words, to bring about a hint of uncertainty. For example,




Person 1 : What time is it?
Person 2 : I don't know. I think it should be around twelve-ish?





Update



As pointed out by Michael Kay, if the adjective points to an extreme, then '-ish' implies less extreme; 'small-ish' is less small than small; 'cold-ish' is less cold than cold; 'same-ish' is less similar than same. So '-ish' not only conveys approximation but can also assign less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.






share|improve this answer















Adding an '-ish' at the end of a word is generally done in informal contexts, mostly to make the reference sound deliberately vague and approximate. (Source)



Here, the speaker has added the suffix because he isn't completely sure of the similarity with the posterior value.



You can add the suffix to words, to bring about a hint of uncertainty. For example,




Person 1 : What time is it?
Person 2 : I don't know. I think it should be around twelve-ish?





Update



As pointed out by Michael Kay, if the adjective points to an extreme, then '-ish' implies less extreme; 'small-ish' is less small than small; 'cold-ish' is less cold than cold; 'same-ish' is less similar than same. So '-ish' not only conveys approximation but can also assign less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 2 days ago

























answered Apr 2 at 8:03









Varun NairVarun Nair

7,32351944




7,32351944







  • 2





    Note that if the adjective points to an extreme, then -ish implies less extreme; small-ish is less small than small; cold-ish is less cold than cold; same-ish is less similar than same. So it's not just approximate or vague; it's explicitly assigning less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago












  • 2





    Note that if the adjective points to an extreme, then -ish implies less extreme; small-ish is less small than small; cold-ish is less cold than cold; same-ish is less similar than same. So it's not just approximate or vague; it's explicitly assigning less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.

    – Michael Kay
    2 days ago







2




2





Note that if the adjective points to an extreme, then -ish implies less extreme; small-ish is less small than small; cold-ish is less cold than cold; same-ish is less similar than same. So it's not just approximate or vague; it's explicitly assigning less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.

– Michael Kay
2 days ago





Note that if the adjective points to an extreme, then -ish implies less extreme; small-ish is less small than small; cold-ish is less cold than cold; same-ish is less similar than same. So it's not just approximate or vague; it's explicitly assigning less of the characteristic than if "-ish" were omitted.

– Michael Kay
2 days ago













2














Another answer already explains the meaning of -ish, but I'd like to address this question you also asked:




can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?




My answer to that would be: perhaps – but don't overdo it.



The suffix works well for some adjectives, such as colors:




They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats, giving sloths a greenish tint that can be used as camouflage in the trees. (Indianapolis Star, 2018)




However, I would NOT recommend applying the suffix haphazardly to just about any adjective. There are many cases where an -ish suffix would sound, well, amateurish, where it would probably be better to avoid using it, especially in formal contexts.



For example, consider size adjectives. Adjectives that connote extremes (such as tiny, infinitesimal, massive, or vast) don't work very well with -ish, and the ngrams reflect that.



Also, if a friend asked if I was hungry, I suppose I could say, "I'm hungryish," but most natives would opt for a phrase like, "I'm kind of hungry," or "I'm a little hungry," instead, and the ngrams support that, too.



Other adjectives that sound odd with -ish would include: delicious, tired, or miserable, but faint and loud seem to work okay:




Two-thirds the way along the Arcturus-to-Vega line brings you to a pattern of four faintish stars resembling the shape of the stone block (The Telegraph, 2017)



On Monday night, a few dozen noodleists came out for cocktails, soup, loudish Ramones and the bar's retro, antique-radio vibe. (New York Times, 2014).




If your spellchecker puts a red squiggly line under a word with -ish, it might be better to use an adverb like rather instead. (For example: He was rather thirsty after the game might be a safer option than He was thirstyish after the game.)






share|improve this answer


















  • 2





    often when writing, people (at least in Britain), place a hyphen before the -ish suffix. There is a well known brand of ready made sauces in the UK, and they used to have TV ads featuring the same family. One seasonal ad played on the fact that people would have leftover turkey for some time after Christmas. The mother announced at supper time that they were having curry. The daughter speaks for them all when she says "It isn't turkey again, is it?" Mother says "Well, it's turk-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:32







  • 1





    Some devout UK Jews describe themselves thus and denounce their less fervent brethren as being "Jew-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:35












  • The reason "massive-ish" doesn't work very well is because "massive" means "very big" and "ish" means" not very", so "massive-ish" contradictory.

    – Acccumulation
    2 days ago











  • Isn't there an extra "that" in "They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats"? I see you are quoting the Indianapolis Star word by word, but I think it's a copy/paste error from the original National Geographic article

    – Fabio Turati
    2 days ago















2














Another answer already explains the meaning of -ish, but I'd like to address this question you also asked:




can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?




My answer to that would be: perhaps – but don't overdo it.



The suffix works well for some adjectives, such as colors:




They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats, giving sloths a greenish tint that can be used as camouflage in the trees. (Indianapolis Star, 2018)




However, I would NOT recommend applying the suffix haphazardly to just about any adjective. There are many cases where an -ish suffix would sound, well, amateurish, where it would probably be better to avoid using it, especially in formal contexts.



For example, consider size adjectives. Adjectives that connote extremes (such as tiny, infinitesimal, massive, or vast) don't work very well with -ish, and the ngrams reflect that.



Also, if a friend asked if I was hungry, I suppose I could say, "I'm hungryish," but most natives would opt for a phrase like, "I'm kind of hungry," or "I'm a little hungry," instead, and the ngrams support that, too.



Other adjectives that sound odd with -ish would include: delicious, tired, or miserable, but faint and loud seem to work okay:




Two-thirds the way along the Arcturus-to-Vega line brings you to a pattern of four faintish stars resembling the shape of the stone block (The Telegraph, 2017)



On Monday night, a few dozen noodleists came out for cocktails, soup, loudish Ramones and the bar's retro, antique-radio vibe. (New York Times, 2014).




If your spellchecker puts a red squiggly line under a word with -ish, it might be better to use an adverb like rather instead. (For example: He was rather thirsty after the game might be a safer option than He was thirstyish after the game.)






share|improve this answer


















  • 2





    often when writing, people (at least in Britain), place a hyphen before the -ish suffix. There is a well known brand of ready made sauces in the UK, and they used to have TV ads featuring the same family. One seasonal ad played on the fact that people would have leftover turkey for some time after Christmas. The mother announced at supper time that they were having curry. The daughter speaks for them all when she says "It isn't turkey again, is it?" Mother says "Well, it's turk-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:32







  • 1





    Some devout UK Jews describe themselves thus and denounce their less fervent brethren as being "Jew-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:35












  • The reason "massive-ish" doesn't work very well is because "massive" means "very big" and "ish" means" not very", so "massive-ish" contradictory.

    – Acccumulation
    2 days ago











  • Isn't there an extra "that" in "They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats"? I see you are quoting the Indianapolis Star word by word, but I think it's a copy/paste error from the original National Geographic article

    – Fabio Turati
    2 days ago













2












2








2







Another answer already explains the meaning of -ish, but I'd like to address this question you also asked:




can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?




My answer to that would be: perhaps – but don't overdo it.



The suffix works well for some adjectives, such as colors:




They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats, giving sloths a greenish tint that can be used as camouflage in the trees. (Indianapolis Star, 2018)




However, I would NOT recommend applying the suffix haphazardly to just about any adjective. There are many cases where an -ish suffix would sound, well, amateurish, where it would probably be better to avoid using it, especially in formal contexts.



For example, consider size adjectives. Adjectives that connote extremes (such as tiny, infinitesimal, massive, or vast) don't work very well with -ish, and the ngrams reflect that.



Also, if a friend asked if I was hungry, I suppose I could say, "I'm hungryish," but most natives would opt for a phrase like, "I'm kind of hungry," or "I'm a little hungry," instead, and the ngrams support that, too.



Other adjectives that sound odd with -ish would include: delicious, tired, or miserable, but faint and loud seem to work okay:




Two-thirds the way along the Arcturus-to-Vega line brings you to a pattern of four faintish stars resembling the shape of the stone block (The Telegraph, 2017)



On Monday night, a few dozen noodleists came out for cocktails, soup, loudish Ramones and the bar's retro, antique-radio vibe. (New York Times, 2014).




If your spellchecker puts a red squiggly line under a word with -ish, it might be better to use an adverb like rather instead. (For example: He was rather thirsty after the game might be a safer option than He was thirstyish after the game.)






share|improve this answer













Another answer already explains the meaning of -ish, but I'd like to address this question you also asked:




can I add -ish to any adjective to convey a same-ish meaning?




My answer to that would be: perhaps – but don't overdo it.



The suffix works well for some adjectives, such as colors:




They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats, giving sloths a greenish tint that can be used as camouflage in the trees. (Indianapolis Star, 2018)




However, I would NOT recommend applying the suffix haphazardly to just about any adjective. There are many cases where an -ish suffix would sound, well, amateurish, where it would probably be better to avoid using it, especially in formal contexts.



For example, consider size adjectives. Adjectives that connote extremes (such as tiny, infinitesimal, massive, or vast) don't work very well with -ish, and the ngrams reflect that.



Also, if a friend asked if I was hungry, I suppose I could say, "I'm hungryish," but most natives would opt for a phrase like, "I'm kind of hungry," or "I'm a little hungry," instead, and the ngrams support that, too.



Other adjectives that sound odd with -ish would include: delicious, tired, or miserable, but faint and loud seem to work okay:




Two-thirds the way along the Arcturus-to-Vega line brings you to a pattern of four faintish stars resembling the shape of the stone block (The Telegraph, 2017)



On Monday night, a few dozen noodleists came out for cocktails, soup, loudish Ramones and the bar's retro, antique-radio vibe. (New York Times, 2014).




If your spellchecker puts a red squiggly line under a word with -ish, it might be better to use an adverb like rather instead. (For example: He was rather thirsty after the game might be a safer option than He was thirstyish after the game.)







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Apr 2 at 17:42









J.R.J.R.

100k8129249




100k8129249







  • 2





    often when writing, people (at least in Britain), place a hyphen before the -ish suffix. There is a well known brand of ready made sauces in the UK, and they used to have TV ads featuring the same family. One seasonal ad played on the fact that people would have leftover turkey for some time after Christmas. The mother announced at supper time that they were having curry. The daughter speaks for them all when she says "It isn't turkey again, is it?" Mother says "Well, it's turk-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:32







  • 1





    Some devout UK Jews describe themselves thus and denounce their less fervent brethren as being "Jew-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:35












  • The reason "massive-ish" doesn't work very well is because "massive" means "very big" and "ish" means" not very", so "massive-ish" contradictory.

    – Acccumulation
    2 days ago











  • Isn't there an extra "that" in "They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats"? I see you are quoting the Indianapolis Star word by word, but I think it's a copy/paste error from the original National Geographic article

    – Fabio Turati
    2 days ago












  • 2





    often when writing, people (at least in Britain), place a hyphen before the -ish suffix. There is a well known brand of ready made sauces in the UK, and they used to have TV ads featuring the same family. One seasonal ad played on the fact that people would have leftover turkey for some time after Christmas. The mother announced at supper time that they were having curry. The daughter speaks for them all when she says "It isn't turkey again, is it?" Mother says "Well, it's turk-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:32







  • 1





    Some devout UK Jews describe themselves thus and denounce their less fervent brethren as being "Jew-ish".

    – Michael Harvey
    Apr 2 at 19:35












  • The reason "massive-ish" doesn't work very well is because "massive" means "very big" and "ish" means" not very", so "massive-ish" contradictory.

    – Acccumulation
    2 days ago











  • Isn't there an extra "that" in "They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats"? I see you are quoting the Indianapolis Star word by word, but I think it's a copy/paste error from the original National Geographic article

    – Fabio Turati
    2 days ago







2




2





often when writing, people (at least in Britain), place a hyphen before the -ish suffix. There is a well known brand of ready made sauces in the UK, and they used to have TV ads featuring the same family. One seasonal ad played on the fact that people would have leftover turkey for some time after Christmas. The mother announced at supper time that they were having curry. The daughter speaks for them all when she says "It isn't turkey again, is it?" Mother says "Well, it's turk-ish".

– Michael Harvey
Apr 2 at 19:32






often when writing, people (at least in Britain), place a hyphen before the -ish suffix. There is a well known brand of ready made sauces in the UK, and they used to have TV ads featuring the same family. One seasonal ad played on the fact that people would have leftover turkey for some time after Christmas. The mother announced at supper time that they were having curry. The daughter speaks for them all when she says "It isn't turkey again, is it?" Mother says "Well, it's turk-ish".

– Michael Harvey
Apr 2 at 19:32





1




1





Some devout UK Jews describe themselves thus and denounce their less fervent brethren as being "Jew-ish".

– Michael Harvey
Apr 2 at 19:35






Some devout UK Jews describe themselves thus and denounce their less fervent brethren as being "Jew-ish".

– Michael Harvey
Apr 2 at 19:35














The reason "massive-ish" doesn't work very well is because "massive" means "very big" and "ish" means" not very", so "massive-ish" contradictory.

– Acccumulation
2 days ago





The reason "massive-ish" doesn't work very well is because "massive" means "very big" and "ish" means" not very", so "massive-ish" contradictory.

– Acccumulation
2 days ago













Isn't there an extra "that" in "They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats"? I see you are quoting the Indianapolis Star word by word, but I think it's a copy/paste error from the original National Geographic article

– Fabio Turati
2 days ago





Isn't there an extra "that" in "They're so slow that sedentary that algae grows on their coats"? I see you are quoting the Indianapolis Star word by word, but I think it's a copy/paste error from the original National Geographic article

– Fabio Turati
2 days ago

















draft saved

draft discarded
















































Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language Learners Stack Exchange!


  • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

But avoid


  • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

  • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




draft saved


draft discarded














StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f203478%2fwhat-does-the-same-ish-mean%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown





















































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown

































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown







Popular posts from this blog

Romeo and Juliet ContentsCharactersSynopsisSourcesDate and textThemes and motifsCriticism and interpretationLegacyScene by sceneSee alsoNotes and referencesSourcesExternal linksNavigation menu"Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–"10.2307/28710160037-3222287101610.1093/res/II.5.31910.2307/45967845967810.2307/2869925286992510.1525/jams.1982.35.3.03a00050"Dada Masilo: South African dancer who breaks the rules"10.1093/res/os-XV.57.1610.2307/28680942868094"Sweet Sorrow: Mann-Korman's Romeo and Juliet Closes Sept. 5 at MN's Ordway"the original10.2307/45957745957710.1017/CCOL0521570476.009"Ram Leela box office collections hit massive Rs 100 crore, pulverises prediction"Archived"Broadway Revival of Romeo and Juliet, Starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad, Will Close Dec. 8"Archived10.1075/jhp.7.1.04hon"Wherefore art thou, Romeo? To make us laugh at Navy Pier"the original10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O006772"Ram-leela Review Roundup: Critics Hail Film as Best Adaptation of Romeo and Juliet"Archived10.2307/31946310047-77293194631"Romeo and Juliet get Twitter treatment""Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen""Romeo and Juliet: Orlando Bloom's Broadway Debut Released in Theaters for Valentine's Day"Archived"Romeo and Juliet Has No Balcony"10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O00778110.2307/2867423286742310.1076/enst.82.2.115.959510.1080/00138380601042675"A plague o' both your houses: error in GCSE exam paper forces apology""Juliet of the Five O'Clock Shadow, and Other Wonders"10.2307/33912430027-4321339124310.2307/28487440038-7134284874410.2307/29123140149-661129123144728341M"Weekender Guide: Shakespeare on The Drive""balcony"UK public library membership"romeo"UK public library membership10.1017/CCOL9780521844291"Post-Zionist Critique on Israel and the Palestinians Part III: Popular Culture"10.2307/25379071533-86140377-919X2537907"Capulets and Montagues: UK exam board admit mixing names up in Romeo and Juliet paper"Istoria Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti2027/mdp.390150822329610820-750X"GCSE exam error: Board accidentally rewrites Shakespeare"10.2307/29176390149-66112917639"Exam board apologises after error in English GCSE paper which confused characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet""From Mariotto and Ganozza to Romeo and Guilietta: Metamorphoses of a Renaissance Tale"10.2307/37323537323510.2307/2867455286745510.2307/28678912867891"10 Questions for Taylor Swift"10.2307/28680922868092"Haymarket Theatre""The Zeffirelli Way: Revealing Talk by Florentine Director""Michael Smuin: 1938-2007 / Prolific dance director had showy career"The Life and Art of Edwin BoothRomeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and JulietEasy Read Romeo and JulietRomeo and Julieteeecb12003684p(data)4099369-3n8211610759dbe00d-a9e2-41a3-b2c1-977dd692899302814385X313670221313670221

Creating closest line along the point''s azimuth using PostgreSQL Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern) Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Unicorn Meta Zoo #1: Why another podcast?Drawing line between points at specific distance in PostGIS?How to efficiently find the closest point over the dateline?How to find the nearest point by using PostGIS function?PostGIS nearest point with LATERAL JOIN in PostgreSQL 9.3+Creating a table and inserting selected streets using plpgsql functionsCreating a table that stores Distances and other columnSaving select query results (year wise) from PostgreSQL/PostGIS to text filesWhat is the information behind this geometry?How to give start and end vertex ids dynamically in pgr_dijkstra?Point to Polygon nearest distance DS_distance is not using geography index & knn <-> or <#> does not give result in orderLine to point conversion with start point and end point detection?

Crop image to path created in TikZ? Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)Crop an inserted image?TikZ pictures does not appear in posterImage behind and beyond crop marks?Tikz picture as large as possible on A4 PageTransparency vs image compression dilemmaHow to crop background from image automatically?Image does not cropTikzexternal capturing crop marks when externalizing pgfplots?How to include image path that contains a dollar signCrop image with left size given