-nik

a suffix of nouns that refer, usually derogatorily, to persons who support or are concerned or associated with a particular political cause or group, cultural attitude, or the like: beatnik, filmnik; no-goodnik; peacenik.

Nearby words

-nap, -nastic, -nasty, -naut, -ness, -nik, -noia, -nomy, -o, -o-, -oate

Origin of -nik

< Yiddish (cf. nudnik) < Slavic: a personal suffix in Slavic languages in contact with Yiddish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for -nik

-nik

suffix forming nouns

denoting a person associated with a specified state, belief, or qualitybeatnik; refusenik

Word Origin for -nik

C20: from Russian -nik, as in Sputnik, and influenced by Yiddish -nik (agent suffix)

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