ish
1 Americanadverb
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(used to modify or moderate something previously stated or as a vague reply to a question) somewhat; in a way; not exactly: “Are you tired?” “Yeah...ish.”
It's a decent (ish) place to work.
“Are you tired?” “Yeah...ish.”
I'd like to get married. Ish.
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near or about; approximately: It'll be a $25ish taxi ride.
The lights went out at 11-ish.
It'll be a $25ish taxi ride.
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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 ).
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a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives, with the sense of “somewhat,” “rather” (oldish; reddish; sweetish ).
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a suffix occurring in i -stem verbs borrowed from French.
ravish.
suffix
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of or belonging to a nationality or group
Scottish
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derogatory having the manner or qualities of; resembling
slavish
prudish
boyish
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somewhat; approximately
yellowish
sevenish
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concerned or preoccupied with
bookish
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slang used to express reservation or qualified assent
Things are looking up. Ish
Etymology
Origin of ish1
First recorded in 1985–90; from -ish 1 ( def. ) (in the sense “somewhat”)
Origin of -ish2
Middle English; Old English -isc; cognate with German -isch, Old Norse -iskr, Gothic -isks, Greek diminutive noun suffix -isk(os); akin to -esque
Origin of -ish3
From French -iss-, extended stem of verbs with infinitives in -ir, ultimately from Latin -isc-, in verbs that express the beginning of an action or process
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Actually lost a very precious bracelet kilometer 75 ish in the crash if any founds it would be great!
From The Guardian • Sep. 9, 2020
So how much ish, could an in-his-prime Nicklaus have earned as a “brand ambassador” in 2020?
From Golf Digest • Jan. 21, 2020
“Look, I’m wearing this special underwear, they’re like super thick and absorbent, and kind of — ish — like a diaper, but they’re underwear,” Sam explains at length.
From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2019
“OK. Look. I’m wearing this special underwear. They’re, like, super thick and absorbent and kind of, ish, like a diaper,” Sam says matter of factly.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2019
Also, the Phil Wrayson costume is excellent as is, but it'd be even better if we had some Will Grayson- ish clothes for Gary to wear.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.