Dictionary.com
definitions

-ish

1

a suffix used to form adjectives from nouns, with the sense of “belonging to” (British; Danish; English; Spanish); “after the manner of,” “having the characteristics of,” “like” (babyish; girlish; mulish); “addicted to,” “inclined or tending to” (bookish; freakish); “near or about” (fiftyish; sevenish).
a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives, with the sense of “somewhat,” “rather” (oldish; reddish; sweetish).

RELATED CONTENT

Why Are People From The Netherlands Called Dutch?A demonym is any name derived from a place that helps describe people who live there. Californians are people who live in California. Frenchmen live in France. And so on. But what about the demonyms that are seemingly random? How the heck did people from the Netherlands become the Dutch, for example? Where Dutch came from Before we dig into this demonym, there are three …
READ MORE
Words You Didn’t Know Came From Los AngelesLos Angeles's films scream from our screens and its celebrities plaster our pages, but, perhaps, less obvious are the linguistic contributions from the City of Angels.
READ MORE

Nearby words

-ion, -ior, -ious, -isation, -ise, -ish, -ism, -ismus, -ist, -ista, -istic

Origin of -ish

1
Middle English; Old English -isc; cognate with German -isch, Gothic -isks, Greek -iskos; akin to -esque

Definition for -ish (2 of 2)

-ish

2

a suffix occurring in i-stem verbs borrowed from French: ravish.

Origin of -ish

2
< French -iss-, extended stem of verbs with infinitives in -ir ≪ Latin -isc-, in inceptive verbs
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for -ish

-ish

suffix forming adjectives

of or belonging to a nationality or groupScottish
often derogatory having the manner or qualities of; resemblingslavish; prudish; boyish
somewhat; approximatelyyellowish; sevenish
concerned or preoccupied withbookish

Word Origin for -ish

Old English -isc; related to German -isch, Greek -iskos
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for -ish

-ish

adjectival suffix, from Old English -isc, common Germanic (cf. Old Norse -iskr, German -isch, Gothic -isks), cognate with Greek diminutive suffix -iskos. Colloquially attached to hours to denote approximation, 1916.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper