All about compound adjectives

What’s the difference between an adjective and a compound adjective?

Simply put, a compound adjective is an adjective that contains two (or more) words, usually separated by a hyphen. Some common examples are:

• fast-paced
• all-new
• high-flying

If an adjective is a descriptor word that modifies a noun, then a compound adjective is one that is twice as long,but does the same job—sometimes even more precisely.

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Types of compound adjectives

Compound adjectives aren’t just made up of adjectives. They can include combinations of nouns, numbers, adverbs, and participles both past and present. (To brush up on the rest of these grammatical terms, check out our Grammar 101 introduction.) Below are some of the most common examples of compound adjectives, broken down into their respective grammatical parts:

• Number + noun: twentieth-century boy
• Adjective + noun: long-hair breed
• Noun + noun: polo-collar shirt
• Noun + present participle: German-speaking couple
• Noun + past participle: sun-dried tomato
• Adjective + past participle: cold-blooded lizard
• Adverb + past participle: overcooked pasta

Proper nouns can even be considered compound adjectives. If you’re writing about someone in a movie, for example, then the phrase “Star Wars actor” counts as a compound adjective. Even phrases in quotations such as “happy go lucky” can be used as compound adjectives.

Should you hyphenate compound adjectives?

Not all compound adjectives require a hyphen to separate its words: these are known as open compound adjectives. But most compound adjectives require a hyphen, and for these closed compound adjectives, there are rules for when to include one:

• Compound adjectives that include numbers always are hyphenated. “First-rate meal,” “second-fiddle player,” and “third-string quarterback” are phrases that require a hyphen when used against a noun. But when the number comes second, i.e., “Type 2 diabetes,” there’s no need for a hyphen.
• Compound adjectives that include superlatives always require a hyphen, too. “Best-ever day,” “Worst-tasting dessert,” and “highest-flying pilot” are compound adjectives that require a hyphen before the nouns that they’re describing. But if these superlatives come after the noun, then no hyphen is required. “He was lesser known than her” is one such example.
• Certain compound adjectives are existing phrases, or proper nouns, and therefore don’t need a hyphen: phrases such as “pro bono legal work,” “USS Enterprise crewman,” “holier than thou attitude.”
• If a compound adjective is paired with an adverb—a descriptor word that often ends with -ly—then there’s no need for a hyphen. Consider these examples: “extremely kind woman,” “very tasteful décor,” “badly constructed shed”: these are all examples of adverbs before an adjective that join forces to become open compound adjectives. Adverbs are their own category of grammar, and there are plenty of differences between them and adjectives. You can learn more about those differences here.

Watch out for ambiguous adjectives!

The reason why some compound adjectives require a hyphen, and others don’t, comes down to reducing ambiguity in your sentences. Consider the following example:

• He wore a yellow-polka-dot jacket.
• He wore a yellow, polka-dot jacket.

In the first example, we can see that the polka dots are yellow. But in the second, the color could be something else, alongside the yellow: there’s a distinct separation between the two adjectives, thanks to the usage of a comma in lieu of a hyphen. To eliminate ambiguity, consider when to string these descriptors together, or rewrite your sentence to make things clear:

• He wore a garishly yellow jacket with white and green polka dots.

How to use compound adjectives

Compound adjectives can be used at any point in the sentence, before or after a noun, and strung together one after another.

By harnessing its versatility, you can write more descriptive sentences that can immerse your reader in both the action and the mood. In turn, your writing will sound more nuanced and well-rounded. AI-powered digital writing assistants like Microsoft Editor can also make it easy to spot your hyphen usage, so if you can’t commit all of these rules to memory, you can rely on Microsoft 365’s software and writing tips.