Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To go out; issue.
  • noun A termination of some English verbs of French origin, or formed on the type of such verbs, having no assignable force, but being merely a terminal relic.
  • noun Issue; liberty and opportunity of going out.
  • noun A termination of Anglo-Saxon origin, used as a regular formative of adjectives.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • A suffix used to from adjectives from nouns and from adjectives. It denotes relation, resemblance, similarity, and sometimes has a diminutive force
  • A verb ending, originally appearing in certain verbs of French origin.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • suffix appended to many kinds of words Typical or similar to.
  • suffix appended to adjectives Somewhat.
  • suffix About, approximately.
  • suffix appended to roots denoting names of nations or regions Of a nationality, place, language or similar association with something.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English -ish, -isch, from Old English -isc ("-ish", suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (“-ish”), from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos. Cognate with Dutch -s, German -isch, Norwegian and Danish -isk, Lithuanian -iškas, and Ancient Greek diminutive suffix -ισκος (-iskos).

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Examples

  • After digesting tons of spiritual books and attending myriad workshops, then experimenting with what works for me, I've created my own "Reader's Digest"-ish shortcut to daily bliss.

    Meryl Davids Landau: 7 Shortcuts to Daily Bliss Meryl Davids Landau 2011

  • It was clear from his Arabic that he was from the south—he used suffixes like -ish, the syntax and accent we knew from Umm Hassane.

    Day of Honey Annia Ciezadlo 2011

  • It was clear from his Arabic that he was from the south—he used suffixes like -ish, the syntax and accent we knew from Umm Hassane.

    Day of Honey Annia Ciezadlo 2011

  • After digesting tons of spiritual books and attending myriad workshops, then experimenting with what works for me, I've created my own "Reader's Digest"-ish shortcut to daily bliss.

    Meryl Davids Landau: 7 Shortcuts to Daily Bliss Meryl Davids Landau 2011

  • We just kind of came up with the concept loosely around a paradise kind of a vibe because that's what they wanted--they wanted a song that was "Almost Paradise"-ish, but not necessarily a duet.

    Mike Ragogna: From Heart To "Heartbreaker" And A Side Of Canucks: Chatting With Loverboy's Mike Reno Mike Ragogna 2011

  • I am organized (-ish); I am good at making decisions (unless it comes to restaurant choices); and, like most beneficiaries of a liberal arts education, I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I want and how I feel.

    Cailin Goldberg-Meehan: Decisions, Decisions Cailin Goldberg-Meehan 2011

  • From HBO-land: Game of Thrones' "imp"-ish Peter Dinklage is an obvious choice, ditto Boardwalk's fiery Kelly Macdonald, but I'm surprised Michael Shannon, as Boardwalk's twisted Prohibition agent, wasn't recognized.

    Critic's Notebook: The Emmy Nominations 2011

  • I am organized (-ish); I am good at making decisions (unless it comes to restaurant choices); and, like most beneficiaries of a liberal arts education, I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I want and how I feel.

    Cailin Goldberg-Meehan: Decisions, Decisions Cailin Goldberg-Meehan 2011

  • We just kind of came up with the concept loosely around a paradise kind of a vibe because that's what they wanted--they wanted a song that was "Almost Paradise"-ish, but not necessarily a duet.

    Mike Ragogna: From Heart To "Heartbreaker" And A Side Of Canucks: Chatting With Loverboy's Mike Reno Mike Ragogna 2011

  • Certainly not as much as the rest of Calle Ocho has changed since all those Cubans came over after the revolution, all those wrongedhidalgos who owned all thoseGone with the Wind -ish plantations where they were nice to their workers, and look what it got them: nothing but thathijo de puta Marxist and exile in the land of Mickey Mouse andlos hermanos Bush.

    Dream State Diane Roberts 2008

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