Compound Adjectives

Compound Adjectives: Useful Rules, List & Examples
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What Are Compound Adjectives? Learn how to form Compound Adjectives and
Compound Adjective list with examples. Compound adjectives are adjectives
that are made up of two or more words usually with hyphens (-) between them.
Table of Contents
Forming Compound Adjectives
Adjective + Past participle
Adverb + Past Participle
Noun + Past Participle
Noun + Present Participle
Adjective + Present Participle
Adverb + Present Participle
Noun + Adjective
Adjective + Noun
Noun + Noun
Adjective + Adjective
Forming Compound Adjectives | Image

Forming Compound Adjectives
Compound adjectives can be formed as follows:
Adjective + Past participle
narrow-minded
He was too narrow-minded and prejudiced and bigoted.
high-spirited
Sophie’s a high-spirited young girl.
old-fashioned
An old-fashioned bell tinkled as he pushed open the door.
short-haired
He was dancing with a short-haired woman.
absent-minded
The actress was so absent-minded that she fluffed her lines.

strong-willed
She’s very strong-willed and if she’s decided to leave school, nothing will stop
her.
quick-witted
He proved himself a quick-witted negotiator.
kind-hearted
Everyone says he is a kind-hearted man.
well-behaved
He is an obedient and well-behaved child.
well-educated
I come from a well-educated family.
densely-populated
The Republic of Malta is a small and densely-populated island nation in
southern Europe.
widely-recognized
She’s a widely-recognized expert in technology.
highly-respected
Our speaker tonight is a highly-respected scholar.
brightly-lit
He walked into the brightly-lit kitchen, opened the fridge, took out a bottle of
water.
sun-baked
We strolled along the sun-baked streets of Naples.
child-wanted
I wanted to buy my daughter the most child-wanted toy.

middle-aged
I noticed two middle-aged passengers.
English-speaking
United Kingdom is an English-speaking country.
time-saving
We spend a fortune on the latest time-saving gadgets.
record-breaking
The show had a record-breaking run in the London theatre.
mouth-watering
The waitress came round with a tray of mouth-watering cream cakes.
thought-provoking
The film had a thought-provoking message.

good-looking
He was tall and quite good-looking.
long-lasting
The impact of divorce on children can be long-lasting.
slow-moving
He was stuck in a line of slow-moving traffic.
far-reaching
Our findings have far-reaching consequences for researchers.
Adverb + Present Participle
never-ending
Writing a dictionary is a never-ending task.
forward-thinking
Some forward-thinking politicians are proposing reforms to the educational
system.
Noun + Adjective
world-famous
His books are world-famous.
ice-cold
I’d love an ice-cold beer.
smoke-free
This is a smoke-free restaurant.
Adjective + Noun
full-length
A full-length portrait of the Queen hung on the wall.
last-minute
It was a last-minute decision.
Noun + Noun
part-time
We have 20 part-time members of staff .
Adjective + Adjective
fat-free
You can put it over frozen yogurt, fat-free ice cream, whatever you like.
Forming Compound Adjectives | Image
Compound Adjectives in English
Vocabulary Builder Course
Have you ever noticed some English words with hyphens between them? For
example:
a well-known author
an English-speaking country
a three-hour movie
a part-time job
a middle-aged woman
These are called compound adjectives – meaning an adjective that has two or
more words.
In this lesson, you’re going to learn some of the most compound adjectives with
example sentences.
Compound Adjectives with Numbers
three-second
There’s a three-second delay.
ten-minute
Let’s take a ten-minute break.
two-hour
She attended a two-hour seminar.
five-day
He went on a five-day trip.
six-week
We took a six-week course.
one-month
The penalty for cheating is a one-month suspension.
two-year
I have a two-year contract with my cell phone provider.
four-year-old
I have a four-year-old son.
twelve-storey
We live in a twelve-storey apartment building
twenty-page
He handed me a twenty-page report.
Common Error: adding -S
Don’t use -s at the end of compound adjectives with numbers:
Let’s take a ten-minutes break.
Let’s take a ten-minute break.
Adjective / Adverb + Past Participle
narrow-minded = not open to different ideas/thoughts
I can’t stand narrow-minded people who are intolerant of new ideas.
well-behaved
They have three well-behaved children.
old-fashioned
We had lunch in an old-fashioned restaurant with décor from the 1950s.
densely-populated
This densely-populated area has the highest crime rates in the country.
short-haired
He was dancing with a short-haired woman.

widely-recognized
She’s a widely-recognized expert in technology.
high-spirited = with a lot of energy
The students gave a high-spirited musical performance.
well-educated
A lot of well-educated people are still having trouble finding jobs.
highly-respected
Our speaker tonight is a highly-respected scholar.
brightly-lit
We live on a brightly-lit street in the city center.
absent-minded = forgetful, not thinking
His absent-minded comment hurt his sister’s feelings.
strong-willed = strong desires, stubborn, does not desist
She’s a strong-willed woman who won’t stop until she gets what she wants.
quick-witted = intelligent, clever, fast at thinking and discovering things
The quick-witted detective solved the crime before anyone else had a clue.
middle-aged = around 40-50 years old
A lot of middle-aged men are dissatisfied with their lives.
kind-hearted = friendly
A kind-hearted stranger helped us find the train station.
Adjective / Adverb / Noun + Present Participle (-ING)
good-looking = attractive, beautiful, handsome
Who’s that good-looking guy over there?

long-lasting
This long-lasting makeup will keep you looking lovely day and night.
record-breaking
The athlete’s record-breaking performance won him the gold medal.
never-ending
Learning a language seems to be a never-ending process.
mouth-watering
There was a variety of mouth-watering desserts at the wedding reception.
thought-provoking
It was a thought-provoking novel.
slow-moving
I was stuck in slow-moving traffic for over an hour.
far-reaching
The new law will have far-reaching effects in the economy.
time-saving
These time-saving techniques will help you work more efficiently.
forward-thinking
Some forward-thinking politicians are proposing reforms to the educational

system.
Other Compound Adjectives
ice-cold
There’s nothing better than drinking an ice-cold lemonade on a hot summer

day.
last-minute
I hate it when my boss wants to make last-minute changes to a publication.
full-length
The director produced his first full-length movie in 1998.
world-famous
We had dinner at a world-famous Italian restaurant.
fat-free
These fat-free cookies are delicious!
When to use a hyphen?
Use a hyphen when the compound adjective comes BEFORE the noun it
modifies, but not when it comes AFTER the noun.
This is a world-famous museum.
This museum is world famous.
We walked into a brightly-lit room.
We walked into a room that was brightly lit.
It was quite a thought-provoking book.
The book was quite thought provoking.
Examples of the Different Types of Compound Adjective

Our Story
Examples of the Different Types of Compound Adjective
A compound adjective is a multi-word adjective. Most compound adjectives are

two-word adjectives, but they can be longer. Usually, a hyphen (or hyphens) is
used to link the words together to show that it is one adjective. For example
(compound adjectives shaded):
 Please request a four-foot table.
("Four-foot" is an adjective describing "table." A hyphen is used to link

"four" and "foot" to show they are part of the same adjective.)
 It is a 6-page document.
 Claire worked as a part-time keeper at the safari park.
 That is an all-too-common mistake.
(This is an example of a compound adjective with more than two words.)

Got it? Take a quick test.
Different Types of Compound Adjective (with Examples)
Here are some common formats for compound adjectives (with examples).
Examples of Compound Adjectives Starting with Numbers
number
+
noun
The most common compound adjectives start with numbers and end with
nouns. For example:
 three-hour wait
 ten-minute journey
 five-day holiday
 three-page document
 500-word story
Examples of Compound Adjectives with Adjectives
[word]
+
adjective
Compound adjectives often end with adjectives. For example:
 brand-new car
 fat-free snacks
 ice-cold drinks
 red-hot peppers
 world-famous player
Examples of Compound Adjectives Ending with Nouns
[word]
+
noun
Compound adjectives can end with nouns. For example:

 apple-pie tin
 blue-sky thinking
 deep-water vessel
 long-life milk
 third-party insurance
Examples of Compound Adjectives Ending with Present Participles
[word]
+
present participle
Lots of compound adjectives end with present participles (adjectives that end "-
ing" and are formed from verbs). For example:
 English-speaking country
 forward-thinking strategy
 long-lasting relationship
 never-ending story
 thought-provoking idea
Read more about present participles.
Examples of Compound Adjectives Ending with Past Participles
[word]
+
past participle
Compound adjectives can end with present participles (adjectives that usually
end "-ed," "-d," "-t," "-en," or "-n" and are formed from verbs). For example:
 absent-minded person
 level-headed leader
 middle-aged man
 narrow-minded response
 short-haired cat
Read more about past participles.
Examples of Compound Adjectives from Proper Nouns
Sometimes, compound adjectives are formed from proper nouns (i.e., the names
of things), and these are written using capital letters. With such compound
adjectives, there is no need to group the words using hyphens. For example:
 Did you manage to get the Billy Elliot tickets?
(The words "Billy Elliot" are one adjective describing the tickets. As the
capital letters group the words, there is no need to use a hyphen.)
 Waking the Dead Claire Goose had a cat that loved potato chips. ("Waking
the Dead" is correct. It is a compound adjective using title case.) Read more
about proper nouns.
Examples of Compound Adjectives with Quotation Marks and Italics
Although a less common practice, it is also possible to group the words in a

compound adjective using quotation marks, italics, or a combination of the two.
For example:
 It is an ab initio course (i.e., for beginners).
(Here, italics group the compound adjective. NB: Italics tend to be used
for foreign words.)
 Amber looked at the stick in the water, looked me in the eye and then
turned away, giving me a "get it yourself" look.
(In this example, quotation marks group the compound adjective.)

 For more than ten years, Jack claimed to be part of the "Mary Celeste"
crew before admitting to his cousin at a party that he was not.
(Here, capital letters, italics, and quotation marks group the adjective.)
Watch Those Capital Letters!
The noun does not get a capital letter unless it is part of the title.
 Did you manage to get the Billy Elliot Tickets?
(The word "Tickets" should be "tickets.")
 The village fete will be held on the Red Lion lawn.
("Red Lion" is a written in title case. The word "lawn" is just a common
noun, hence the lowercase "l.")
Read more about alternatives to hyphens in compound adjectives.
Compound Adjectives with Adverbs
An adjective is often preceded by a word like "very," "well," "beautifully," or

"extremely." (These are adverbs.)
Usually, there is no need to link an adverb to an adjective using a hyphen. For

example:
 Young Tracey is an extremely brave girl.
(The adverb "extremely" modifies the adjective "brave" but is not part of
it. There is no need to group it and "brave" together with a hyphen.)
 It was a beautifully painted portrait in a skilfully carved frame.
(The adverb "beautifully" adds to the adjective "painted" but is not part of
it. It is the same with "skilfully" and "carved." There is no need for
hyphens.)
Beware of Ambiguous Adverbs!
With words like "well" and "fast" (both of which can be used as an adjective or
an adverb), a hyphen is useful to avoid ambiguity. For example:
 Jacob took the well-fatted calf to the riverside.
(With a hyphen, "well-fatted calf" means a very plump calf.)
 Jacob took the well fatted calf to the riverside.
(Without a hyphen, "well fatted calf" could be construed as a "well" (i.e.,

healthy) and "fatted" calf. In the first example, the "well-fatted calf" could
be ill.)
Two Easy Rules
The following rules will cover most scenarios:
(1) When preceding an adjective with the adverb "well," use a hyphen.
 well-known actor
(Use a hyphen with "well.")

(2) Do not use a hyphen with an adverb that ends "-ly."
 widely known actor
(Do not use a hyphen if the adverb ends "-ly.")
What Is a Compound Adjective? (with Examples)
Our Story
Compound Adjective
A compound adjective is a single adjective made up of more than one word. The
words in a compound adjective are usually grouped together using hyphens to
show it is a single adjective.
Easy Examples of Compound Adjectives
Here are some example of compound adjectives (shaded):
 four-foot table
 12-page magazine
 free-range eggs
 never-to-be-forgotten experience
 well-deserved award
Real-Life Examples of Compound Adjectives

 I'm the underdog, the 5-foot-6-inch wrestler. The kids don't say, "I can
beat Rey." They say "I can be like Rey." (Professional wrestler Óscar
Gutiérrez, aka Rey Mysterio)
 Cross-country competition taught me valuable lessons. Training counted
more than ability as I could compensate with diligence and discipline. I
applied this in everything I did. (President of South Africa Nelson
Mandela)
 Why do we have front-page news about celebrity divorces instead of
front-page news about global warming? (Model Heather Mills)
 Privileged girls armed with nothing more than guinea-pig-rearing
certificates have started to move into law, consultancy, media and the
arts. (Paraphrased from a quotation by author Peter York)
 It's a well-known fact that tall people are evil. (Comedian Kevin Hart
(5'4"))
Got it? Take a quick test.
More about Compound Adjectives
Compound adjectives can also be grouped using italics, quotation marks, and
title case.
 It's a bona fide purchaser.
(It is common convention to write foreign words in italics. When those

words are a compound adjective, the italics group them, eliminating the
need for hyphens.)
 Is that your "go away" look?
(If there's a reason to put your compound adjective in quotation marks

(e.g., it's a genuine quotation or a ship's name), then the quotation marks
group the adjective, eliminating the need for hyphens.)
 Did you watch the Harry Potter documentary?
(If your compound adjective is a title written in title case (i.e., using
capital letters for the principal words), then the title case groups your
adjective, eliminating the need for hyphens.)
Read more about the alternatives to hyphens in compound adjectives.
Why Should I Care about Compound Adjectives?
Punctuating compound adjectives correctly will not only showcase your writing
skills but also help your readers to absorb your words more easily. When a
compound adjective is not grouped to show it's one grammatical unit, it can
cause your readers' scan to stutter momentarily as they group the words into a
single entity themselves.
Also, if you're following British writing conventions, you don't have a choice. In
the UK, readers expect hyphens in their compound adjectives. In the US,
readers are more lenient.
 Women in mystery fiction were largely confined to little old lady snoops.
(US author Marcia Muller) ( for Americans) ( untidy for Brits)
 Women in mystery fiction were largely confined to little-old-lady snoops.
(acceptable for all)
Here are five more good reasons to care about compound adjectives.
(Reason 1) The hyphen might be essential to eliminate ambiguity.
Sometimes, a hyphen is essential to avoid ambiguity. Look at the two examples

below.
 a heavy-metal detector
 a heavy metal detector
Both versions above are correct, but they mean different things. The first device
detects heavy metals. The second device is heavy and detects metal. If we're
talking about a device that detects heavy metals (e.g., mercury, cadmium,
thallium), then writing "heavy metal detector" would be wrong in the UK and
the US.
The following three examples highlight why hyphens might be essential. If you
wrote "twenty four hour shifts" (i.e., without hyphens), you'd be relying on your
readers knowing the context to guess the right version, and you'd have done
little to showcase your writing skills or to portray yourself as a clear thinker.
 Twenty-four hour shifts.
(These shifts last an hour. There are 24 of them.)
 Twenty four-hour shifts.
(These shifts last four hours. There are 20 of them.)
 Twenty-four-hour shifts.
(These shifts last 24 hours. The number is unspecified.)

Here's an oft-cited, but probably apocryphal, headline in a local newspaper:
 Doctor helps dog bite child.
(Clearly, "dog-bite child" would have been clearer.)

The next one is not apocryphal, however. In August 2018, the grammar world
was set alight by this headline in the "The Pratt Tribune" (from Pratt, Kansas):
 Students get first hand job experience.
("Students get first-hand job experience" would have avoided the Twitter
spike of the hashtag #hyphensmatter. NB: Firsthand as one word would
also have been acceptable.)
(Reason 2) Sometimes there's a hyphen. Sometimes there isn't.
Writers often ask questions like "Is there a hyphen in tax avoidance?" or "Is
airport parking hyphenated?". Well, the answer to those questions is
sometimes yes and sometimes no. If those terms are being used as adjectives,
then yes. If they're not, then no.
 He is a specialist in tax avoidance.

 He is a tax-avoidance specialist.
(Both are correct. In the second version, "tax-avoidance" is a compound

adjective modifying "specialist.")
 How much is airport parking?

 What are the airport-parking fees?
(Both are correct. In the second version, "airport-parking" is a compound

adjective modifying "fees.")
There's a trap though. It's not uncommon for your adjective to be a compound
noun, which gets hyphens in its own right.
 He attended a course on self-awareness.

 He attended a self-awareness course.
(Both are correct. "Self-awareness" is a hyphenated compound noun.)

Read more about compound nouns.
(Reason 3) Sometimes it's one word not two, so you don't need any
hyphens.
Before you ask yourself a question like "Is counter intelligence hyphenated?",
just check it's not acceptable as one word (i.e., not a compound adjective at all).
(NB: "Counterintelligence" is acceptable as one word.)
The quickest way is to test whether your spellchecker likes the one-word
version. If it does, use it. If it doesn't, it's worth checking in a dictionary (online
or otherwise) because spellcheckers take time to catch up with the latest trends.
 Students get firsthand job experience.

(Writing "firsthand" as one word would have saved "The Pratt Tribune"
its embarrassment. Of note though, most spellcheckers show firsthand as
an error, but all the big dictionaries allow it.)
Top Tip
Google's Ngram Viewer scans millions of books in a flash. It is simple to use.

Use it to help with your decision on whether to use one word or the hyphenated
version.
Here is an example with first-hand experience and firsthand experience.
(Reason 4) Only the words in the same adjective are joined by

hyphens.
Don't be tempted to string all adjectives together with hyphens. It is common to

use more than one adjective to describe something. (called "enumeration of
adjectives").
 She's an intelligent articulate lady.
(Here, "intelligent" and "articulate" are standalone adjectives. This is an

example of enumeration of adjectives. There's no compound adjective.)
Read more enumeration of adjectives and how adjectives are ordered. If you're
unsure whether you're dealing with a compound adjective or two separate
adjectives, put the word "and" between the two words. If there's no loss of
meaning, then you're almost certainly dealing with two adjectives, and you don't
need a hyphen.
 large proud rooster > large and proud rooster
(This still makes sense. It's two adjectives. No hyphen is required.)
 first aid post > first and aid post
(This is nonsense. It's clearly not two adjectives. It's a compound

adjective. It should be "first-aid" post.)
(Reason 5) An adverb is not linked to an adjective with a
hyphen...unless it helps.
Adjectives are often preceded by adverbs (e.g., very, well, beautifully,

extremely). Usually, there's no need to link an adverb to an adjective using a
hyphen.
 Programming is an extremely creative profession. It's logic-based

creativity. (Video-game developer John Romero)
("Extremely" is an adverb. There's no need to link it to the adjective

"creative" with a hyphen. As they are compound adjectives, "logic-based"
and "video-game" are correctly hyphenated.)
Using a hyphen with an adverb like very, most, or least is an uncommon error.
However, when an adverb ends in "-ly" (and lots do), many writers feel the urge
to use a hyphen. It's a waste of ink.
 Strengths: Professionally-trained editor.
(This is an extract from a CV. Oops.)

However, with words like well, fast, and best (which are both adjectives and
adverbs), a hyphen can be used to avoid ambiguity.
 We're looking at a well-developed fetus.
(This means the fetus is significantly past the embryonic state.)
 We're looking at a well developed fetus. (ambiguous)
(This could mean the same as above, but it could also mean a well (i.e.,
healthy) developed fetus.)
This situation occurs most commonly with well (e.g., well-fatted calf), but it can
occur with fast and best too (e.g., fast-changing wind, best-known actor).
Key Points
 Use hyphens in your compound adjectives to showcase your writing
skills, to protect your readers from reading-scan stutter, and to eliminate
ambiguity with the meaning.
 Check your two-word compound adjective (e.g., "back-breaking") isn't
acceptable as one word (e.g., "backbreaking").
 If you're dealing with two single-word adjectives (as opposed to a two-
word compound adjective), you'll be able to put "and" between them.
Don't link two independent adjectives with a hyphen.
 Don't use a hyphen with an adverb like "very," "extremely," or
"professionally."
 Link the adverb "well" to the adjective it's modifying with a hyphen.
Let’s look at the following sentences:
 I saw a man-eating alligator.
 I saw a man eating alligator.
What is the difference between these two sentences?

The first sentence has a hyphen (-) which is a little dash between the two words
man and eating and the second sentence doesn’t.
Is there a difference in meaning?
YES! There is a big difference. Let’s use some cartoons to show this.
The first sentence contains a compound adjective… man-eating
A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words joined by
a hyphen.
In this case we are joining the words MAN and EATING to create the compound
adjective.
This compound adjective describes the alligator as one that eats men or people
in general.
Is it a banana-eating alligator? No. It it a hamburger-eating alligator? No. It is a
man-eating alligator.
Compound adjectives appear before a noun and act as a single idea (a single
adjective) that describes something.
The second sentence doesn’t have a compound adjective. There is no hyphen

between the word man and eating. Why?
Because we are talking about how we saw a man who was eating an alligator. We
are not describing the alligator.
So quickly looking at both sentences again:

The first sentence:
We are describing the alligator. What type of alligator is it? It is one that eats
men (or people).
The second sentence:
I am talking about a man who is eating an alligator.
As you can see, the hyphen (or lack of a hyphen) makes a big difference in the
meaning of the sentence.
Let’s learn more about compound adjectives.
Compound adjectives
As we have seen, a compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more

words joined by a hyphen.
 I live in an English-speaking country.
English-speaking is a compound adjective used to describe the country.

We use a hyphen to connect the word English with speaking to show that it is
one adjective or one idea.
What type of country is it?
It is an English-speaking country.
Look at this sentence:
 She is a world-famous singer.
She is not just a famous singer in her country. She is also famous around the
world so she is a world-famous singer.
In general, we do not use a hyphen between two adjectives.
 She has a big blue book.
Big and Blue are adjectives so we do not put a hyphen between these two
adjectives
This includes when one of the adjectives is already a compound adjective. Look
at the following:
 He lives in an old coal-mining town
Coal-mining is a compound adjective that consists of coal and mining.

What type of town is it? A coal-mining town… a town where they mine coal.
But we have also included the adjective OLD because it is an old town.
We didn’t put a hyphen between the word old and coal because coal is part of
the compound adjective coal-mining.
In general we don’t put a hyphen between two adjectives, including if one of
those is a compound adjective.
So how can we make compound adjectives?

Which parts of speech can be a part of compound adjectives?
Here is a list of the most common types of compound adjectives:
Periods of Time
One very common use of compound adjectives is with periods of time.

The compound adjective is made with a number + a period of time.
Some examples include: five-minute, three-hour, ten-day, six-month, twenty-
year.
It is important to note that the period of time needs to be in singular form. five-
minute NOT five-minutes
Let’s look at the first example.
 I work an eight-hour day.
We do NOT put an S at the end of hour. We cannot say “I work an eight-hours

day.” This is NOT correct. The time period needs to be in its singular form.
 I work an eight-hour day.
This means that I work eight hours every day. There is an S at the end of hours
in the sentence on the right because it is not a compound adjective that goes
before a noun.
Look at these other examples:
 I had a three-week vacation. = I went on vacation for three weeks.

 There was a five-second delay. = There was a delay of 5 seconds.
Notice how we normally write the number as a word, not in numerical form,
unless it is a very large number.
And remember it is important NOT to add an S at the end of the compound
adjective.
I had a three-week vacation NOT three-weeks vacation.
Number + Singular Noun
When we have a number before a noun in a compound adjective, that noun is

always in singular form. This not only applies to periods of time as we have
already seen but with other nouns too.
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a number +
singular noun include: five-minute, three-hour, ten-storey, one-way, twenty-
page
Our example sentences:
 I had to print a ten-page document.

 You need to go down that one-way street.
 We live in a two-storey house.
NOTE: We we are talking about the level of a building:

Storey (with an E) is used in British English.
Story (without an E) is used in American English.
So in American English it would be written as:
 We live in a two-story house. (American English)
Adjective + Noun
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from an adjective +

noun include:
last-minute, full-length, short-term, long-distance, high-quality
 I made a last-minute decision to stay home.

 Most of their staff are on short-term contracts.
 We create high-quality resources.

present participle include: good-looking, long-lasting, easy-going, tight-
fitting, quick-thinking
 It left a long-lasting taste in my mouth.

 She wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans.
 The quick-thinking staff got everyone to safety.
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a noun + present
participle include: mouth-watering, record-breaking, time-saving, English-
speaking
 I bought some mouth-watering strawberries.
 That was a record-breaking jump.
 I used to live in a Spanish-speaking country.
Noun + Adjective
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a noun +

adjective include:
world-famous, smoke-free, ice-cold, gluten-free, family-friendly
 We often go to the family-friendly restaurant near our house.

 There is nothing better than an ice-cold drink on a hot day.
 Could you buy me some gluten-free cookies please?
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a noun + past
participle include: wind-powered, sun-dried, middle-aged, water-cooled
 We should start using wind-powered generators to cut costs.

 I added some sun-dried tomatoes to the platter.
 My new water-cooled gaming PC is quieter than my old one.
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from an adverb + past
participle include: brightly-lit, well-known, densely-populated, highly-
respected
 This classroom is a brightly-lit room.

 He is a well-known actor.
 They live in a densely-populated city.
Adjective + Past Participle

past participle include: old-fashioned, long-forgotten, ready-made, short-
lived
 I found a long-forgotten painting in the attic.

 He doesn’t like to cook so he buys ready-made meals.
 They had a short-lived romance.
Compound Adjectives Summary Chart
Compound Adjectives
English Grammar
A compound adjective is sometimes called a hyphenated adjective. What are

they?
Let's look at the following sentences:

The first sentence contains a compound adjective.
The second sentence doesn't.
However the meaning of the two sentences are very different as can be seen in
the picture below:
I saw a man-eating alligator.
We are describing the alligator. What type of alligator is it? It is one that eats
men (or people).
I saw a man eating alligator.

This sentence without the hyphen sounds like a man is eating an alligator.
(man is the subject, eating is the verb, alligator is the object or thing that is
being eaten).
As you can see, the hyphen (or lack of it) makes a big difference in the meaning
of the sentence.
Before we explain in more detail why we put that hyphen between those two
words in the first sentence, we need to do a quick review of Adjectives.
What is an adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes something.
A red car (red is an adjective because it describes the car. How is the car? Red)
A big book (big is an adjective because it describes the book. How is the book?
Big)
See our other grammar notes about Adjectives in English. (LINK coming soon)
But sometimes we use more than one adjective to describe something.
Compound adjectives
A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words.
In general we put a hyphen between two or more words (before a noun) when
we want them to act as a single idea (adjective) that describes something.
 I live in an English-speaking country.
English-speaking is an adjective (used to describe the country). We use a

hyphen to connect the word English with speaking to show that it is one
adjective (or one idea).
This adjective with two words joined by the hyphen is called a compound
adjective.
Some more examples of compound adjectives are:
 Our office is in a twenty-storey building.

 I have just finished reading a 300-page book.
 He is a well-known writer.
There are many types of Compound Adjectives. Here is a list of the most
common types:
Periods of Time
When he have compound adjectives using a number + a time period, that word
referring to a time period is in singular form and is joined to the number with a
hyphen.
 I work eight hours every day --> I work an eight-hour day

 I'm going on vacation for three weeks --> I have a three-week vacation
 There was a delay of 5 seconds --> There was a five-second delay
Notice how we normally write the number as a word, not in numerical form.
Adverbs and Compound Adjectives
Adverbs modify a verb.
 She walks slowly.
How does she walk? Slowly. Slowly is an adverb that modifies (or describes) the
verb.
Adverbs can also be used to modify an adjective.
 It is very hot today. (Very is an adverb)

 She is extremely intelligent. (Extremely is an adverb)
Notice how we do not put a hyphen between an adverb and an adjective (not
even before a noun).
 It is a very hot day.

 She is an extremely intelligent girl.
However when we have an Adverb + past participle, we put a hyphen between

the two words to make it a compound adjective.
 This is a brightly-lit room.

 She is a well-known actress.
 We live in a densely-populated city.
When we have a noun + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words
to make it a compound adjective.
 We should start using wind-powered generators to cut costs.

 I love eating sun-dried raisins.
When we have a noun + present participle, we put a hyphen between the two
words to make it a compound adjective.
 I bought some mouth-watering strawberries.

 That was a record-breaking jump.
Noun + Adjective
When we have a noun + adjective, we put a hyphen between the two words to
make it a compound adjective.
 She is a world-famous singer.

 This is a smoke-free restaurant.
Adjective + Noun
When we have an adjective + noun, we put a hyphen between the two words to
make it a compound adjective.
 It was a last-minute decision.

 We watched the full-length version of the movie.
Adjective + Past Participle
When we have an adjective + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two
words to make it a compound adjective.
 That is an old-fashioned dress

 Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures.
When we have an adjective + present participle, we put a hyphen between the

two words to make it a compound adjective.
 She is a good-looking girl.

 It left a long-lasting taste in my mouth.
Compound Adjectives with Proper Nouns
A proper noun is the name of something or someone (e.g. John, Susan Sanders).
Compound Adjectives made from Proper nouns don't need a hyphen though
must have capital letters.
 I bought the James Jackson tickets for us.
James Jackson is a compound adjective describing the tickets (What type of

tickets? James Jackson tickets). Since the adjective is a Proper noun, we don't
need a hyphen between the two names.
How do we know when to put a hyphen?
If you can use the word “and” between the two adjectives or words, then a
hyphen isn't necessary.
 She has a big blue book.
(Big and Blue are adjectives)

Can we say: She has a big and blue book. (Yes, it is possible)
 He is a world famous singer. (Is this correct?)
Can we say: He is a world and famous singer. No, it doesn't sound correct so we
need a hyphen to join the words world and famous:
 He is a world-famous singer. (Correct)
Also, look at the following:
 It's an old coal-mining town
Notice how we didn't put a hyphen between the word old and coal. If we had
have done that, we would have been referring to old coal, as in coal that is old.
We want to emphasis that the town in old and not the coal.
Here we can say it is old and a coal-mining one.

Compound Adjectives

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Compound Adjectives: Useful Rules, List & Examples

Forming Compound Adjectives

Adjective + Past participle

Adverb + Past Participle

Noun + Past Participle

Noun + Present Participle

Adjective + Present Participle

Adverb + Present Participle

Forming Compound Adjectives | Image