28 Adjectives Ending in -SOME

28 Adjectives Ending in -SOME

Hello, English learners! 👋 Welcome to a new lesson. The suffix -some is used to form adjectives that describe a quality, feeling, or effect. Very often, adjectives ending in -some describe how something makes people feel or what kind of impression it creates.

Many of these adjectives are especially useful for descriptive writing, storytelling, and higher-level speaking, making them ideal for B2 First and C1 Advanced learners.

Let’s take a look at 28 useful adjectives ending in -some, with clear meanings and natural example sentences.

Awesome

Meaning: inspiring awe, admiration, or excitement.

• The view from the top of the mountain was truly awesome.
• She did an awesome job on her presentation.

Blithesome

Meaning: cheerful, light-hearted, and carefree.

• Her blithesome attitude always brightens up the room.

Burdensome

Meaning: difficult to deal with; heavy or demanding.

• The extra paperwork became burdensome over time.

Chillsome

Meaning: causing a feeling of cold or discomfort.

• A chillsome wind swept through the empty streets.

Cumbersome

Meaning: large, heavy, or awkward to carry or use.

• He struggled to lift the cumbersome suitcase onto the train.

Delightsome

Meaning: very pleasant or charming.

• The village was a delightsome place to spend a quiet weekend.

Fearsome

Meaning: causing fear or alarm.

• The fearsome storm forced everyone indoors.

Gladsome

Meaning: joyful or full of happiness.

• They shared gladsome news at the family dinner.

Gruesome

Meaning: extremely unpleasant, shocking, or disturbing.

• The film was too gruesome for younger viewers.

Handsome

Meaning: attractive in appearance (people or objects).

• He was a handsome young man with a confident smile.

Irksome

Meaning: annoying or irritating over time.

• The constant noise became irksome after a while.

Loathsome

Meaning: causing strong dislike or disgust.

• His loathsome behaviour was widely criticised.

Lonesome

Meaning: feeling lonely or isolated.

• She felt lonesome after moving to a city where she knew no one.

Lovesome

Meaning: lovable or deserving of affection.

• The puppy’s lovesome nature made everyone adore it.

Mettlesome

Meaning: full of courage, energy, or determination.

• Her mettlesome response impressed the entire team.

Noisome

Meaning: unpleasant or offensive, especially due to a bad smell.

• A noisome odour came from the neglected basement.

Quarrelsome

Meaning: likely to argue or cause conflict.

• The quarrelsome neighbours argued over the smallest issues.

Quicksome

Meaning: lively or quick in movement (rare but literary).

• The dancer’s quicksome steps held the audience’s attention.

Ransome

Meaning: valuable enough to demand ransom (very rare / literary).

• The painting was considered ransome due to its historical value.

Sportsome

Meaning: fond of games, sport, or physical activity.

• Their sportsome child loved outdoor games and team sports.

Teethsome

Meaning: pleasing to the taste; delicious.

• The teethsome dessert disappeared within minutes.

Tiresome

Meaning: causing boredom or fatigue.

• The long and tiresome journey left everyone exhausted.

Troublesome

Meaning: causing problems or worry.

• This is a troublesome issue that needs urgent attention.

Wearisome

Meaning: tiring or exhausting, especially mentally.

• The wearisome task seemed never-ending.

Wholesome

Meaning: good for health or moral well-being.

• She prepared a wholesome meal using fresh ingredients.

Winsome

Meaning: charming in a simple, attractive way.

• Her winsome smile made a great first impression.

Worrisome

Meaning: causing concern or anxiety.

• The worrisome news about the storm spread quickly.

Final tip for learners 

Adjectives ending in -some are especially useful for descriptive language. Many of them appear in stories and narratives, opinion essays, reviews and reports and advanced speaking tasks.

Using them correctly will instantly make your English sound richer, more expressive, and more advanced.

Learn about the suffix -HOOD here

Learn about negative prefixes and suffixes in English here

Visit our bookshop for more