This list includes 16 Suffixes that start with D, from “-dactyl” to “-dynia”. Many are classical or specialized morphemes, common in scientific, medical and descriptive vocabulary.
Suffixes that start with D are word endings that form nouns, adjectives, or conditions. Several come from Greek or Latin; for example, “-dactyl” appears in zoological names like “pterodactyl”.
Below you’ll find the table with Origin, Meaning and Example words.
Origin: Shows the historical language or period the suffix comes from, helping you judge formality and technical use.
Meaning: Gives a short, practical gloss so you quickly grasp how the suffix changes a base word’s meaning.
Example words: Lists two to four real words that illustrate typical uses so you can see the suffix in context.
Suffixes that start with D
| Suffix | Origin | Meaning | Example Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| –dom | Old English | state, realm, condition, collective | kingdom, freedom, boredom, dukedom |
| –drome | Greek via Latin/French | racecourse, running-place; type of venue | aerodrome, velodrome, hippodrome |
| –duct | Latin | lead, bring; channel or conduit | aqueduct, viaduct, adduct |
| –dactyl | Greek | finger or toe; relating to digits | pterodactyl, polydactyl, hexadactyl |
| –dactyly | Greek | condition of digits; digit number/abnormality | polydactyly, brachydactyly |
| –derm | Greek | skin, outer layer | hypodermic, ectoderm, pachyderm |
| –demic | Greek | of a people; (epidemiology) relating to disease spread | pandemic, endemic, epidemic |
| –dox | Greek | opinion, belief, doctrine | orthodox, heterodox, paradox |
| –doxy | Greek | doctrine or system of belief | orthodoxy, heterodoxy |
| –dynia | Greek | pain | pleurodynia, gastrodynia, cardiodynia |
| –dyne | Greek | force, power (technical) | heterodyne, homodyne, aerodyne |
| –dromous | Greek | migratory, running (movement pattern) | anadromous, catadromous, amphidromous |
| –drama | Greek | play, spectacle; dramatic form | melodrama, psychodrama, sociodrama |
| –dor | Latin/Spanish | agent suffix “one who” (from Romance loans) | matador, conquistador, sudador |
| –dromic | Greek | pertaining to running or preceding; adjectival | prodromic, anadromic, catadromic |
| –dactylous | Greek | having fingers/toes; adjectival of digits | polydactylous, brachydactylous |
Descriptions
–dom
Very common noun-forming suffix denoting realms, conditions, or collectives; highly productive in everyday English.
–drome
Combining form for places or courses (esp. 19th–20th-century coinages); used in place names and technical terms; limited modern productivity.
–duct
Combining form in engineering/biology for conduits or leading; fairly common in learned compounds; limited native productivity.
–dactyl
Used in zoological and anatomical names; productive in technical coinages describing digit counts or shapes.
–dactyly
Medical/clinical suffix forming condition nouns; specialist usage rather than everyday vocabulary.
–derm
Highly productive in medical and biological terms; common combining form for skin-related concepts.
–demic
Common in public-health and social vocabulary; productive in modern coinages (e.g., infodemic).
–dox
Combining form about belief or opinion; familiar in ideological and descriptive words; moderately productive.
–doxy
Forms nouns denoting doctrines or belief systems; somewhat specialized but widely recognized.
–dynia
Medical suffix meaning pain or painful condition; relatively rare and specialist.
–dyne
Technical combining form in physics/engineering and occasional coinages; specialist vocabulary with limited general use.
–dromous
Biological term for migration patterns; technical and used mainly in zoology/ecology.
–drama
Combining form forming genres or investigative techniques; common in cultural and clinical contexts.
–dor
Found in many Spanish/Latin loanwords as an agentive ending; not productive in native English (chiefly non-English).
–dromic
Adjectival form used in medicine and biology (e.g., prodromal concepts); specialized and limited.
–dactylous
Adjectival variant used in zoology and anatomy; technical usage, not common in everyday speech.