-rel

a noun suffix having a diminutive or pejorative force: wastrel.

Nearby words

-pterous,
-ptosis,
-rama,
-re,
-red,
-rhagia,
-rhea,
-rhiza,
-rhoea,
-ridden

Also -erel.

Origin of -rel

Middle English < Old French -erel, -erelle

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

British Dictionary definitions for -rel

-rel

suffix forming nouns

mainly disparaging indicating a person or thing viewed as diminutive, trivial, or worthlessmongrel; wastrel

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 -rel

-rel

also -erel, diminutive or deprecatory word-forming element, in some cases from Old French -erel (Modern French -ereau) or -erelle, but mostly used with native stems.