Learn English Vocabulary with Negative Prefixes with DIS, IM, IN, IR, IL, NON, UN.
Common Prefixes in English
English Vocabulary: frequently used prefixes in English.
English Vocabulary with Negative Prefixes
DIS
- Disappointment
E.g. He found it difficult to hide his disappointment when she didn’t arrive.
- Disapproval
E.g. He shook his head in disapproval.
- Disgust
E.g. She expressed her disgust at the programme by writing a letter of complaint.
- Disrespect
E.g. No disrespect intended, sir. It was just a joke.
- Disbelief
E.g. He stared at me in disbelief.
- Disgrace
E.g. Her behaviour has brought disgrace on her family.
- Dishonour
E.g. There is no dishonour in such a defeat.
- Disillusionment
E.g. There is widespread disillusionment with the present government.
- Disinterest
E.g. His total disinterest in money puzzled his family.
- Dismay
E.g. He looked at her in dismay.
- Displeasure
E.g. She made no attempt to hide her displeasure at the prospect.
- Disregard
E.g. The board completely disregarded my recommendations.
- Dissatisfaction
E.g. Many people have expressed their dissatisfaction with the arrangement.
- Distaste
E.g. He looked around the filthy room in distaste.
- Distrust
E.g. He has a deep distrust of all modern technology.
- Discomfort
E.g. You will experience some minor discomfort during the treatment.
- Discontent
E.g. There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions.
- Discouragement
E.g. Despite all these discouragements, she refused to give up.
- Disdain
E.g. He turned his head away in disdain
UN
- Unreal
E.g. The party began to take on an unreal, almost nightmarish quality.
- Unable
E.g. I tried to contact him but was unable to.
- Unusual
E.g. It’s unusual for the trees to flower so early.
- Unhappy
E.g. I didn’t realize but he was deeply unhappy at that time.
- Unfaithful
E.g. She remained loyal to her unfaithful husband.
- Unfair
E.g. It would be unfair not to let you have a choice.
- Unprepared
E.g. She was totally unprepared for his response.
- Unhelpful
E.g. The taxi driver was being very unhelpful.
- Unlikely
E.g. The project seemed unlikely to succeed.
- Unshaven
E.g. He looked pale and unshaven.
IN
- Incorrect
E.g. The time on my clock is incorrect.
- Incredible
E.g. It seemed incredible that she had been there a week already.
- Invalid
E.g. People with invalid papers are deported to another country.
- Insane
E.g. The prisoners were slowly going insane.
- Infrequent
E.g. Muggings are relatively infrequent in this area.
- Incapable
E.g. The children seem to be totally incapable of working by themselves.
- Inexpensive
E.g. Inexpensive socks fade faster than pricey ones.
- Ineligible
E.g. The new rules have made thousands more people ineligible for legal aid.
- Inorganic
E.g. Rocks and minerals are inorganic.
- Indecent
E.g. He made an indecent suggestion to my wife
- Invisible
E.g. The gas in a balloon is invisible
- Informal
E.g. We can wear jeans to an informal party
- Independent
E.g. She is proud to be independent in her job.
- Inactive
E.g. It’s hard to exercise after being inactive for a week.
- Inappropriate
E.g. Casual clothes are inappropriate at a wedding.
- Indefinite
E.g. Rain delayed the game for an indefinite period.
- Indisputable
E.g. It is indisputable that Austin is the capital of Texas.
IL
- Illegal
E.g. It’s illegal to drive through a red light.
- Illegible
E.g. His signature is totally illegible.
- Illogical
E.g. His answer is illogical; it makes no sense.
IM
Impolite
E.g. It’s impolite to interrupt a person who is speaking.
- Imperfect
E.g. All our sale items are slightly imperfect.
- Immoral
E.g. It’s immoral to steal.
- Impure
E.g. Some of these drugs are highly impure.
- Impossible
E.g. It’s impossible to prove.
- Impatient
E.g. He was too impatient to wait in line for the bus
- Immobile
E.g. The ship was immobile after grounding on a reef.
- Imbalance
E.g. Postnatal depression is usually due to hormonal imbalance.
- Impeccable
E.g. He was dressed in a suit and an impeccable white shirt.
- Immature
E.g. She is too immature to take a babysitting job.
- Impersonal
E.g. A robot is an impersonal teacher.
Ir
- Irrational
E.g. There was nothing inherently irrational in such a decision.
- Irregular
E.g. The shirt was on sale because of irregular stitches
- Irresistible
E.g. My father’s homemade apple pie is irresistible
- Irrelevant
E.g. Music skills are irrelevant in playing baseball.
- Irresponsible
E.g. It is irresponsible to run into traffic.
- Irreparable
E.g. My report is irreparable after my dog chewed it.
Non
- Nonessential
E.g. I have no money for non-essentials.
- Nonfiction
E.g. I prefer reading non-fiction.
- Nonsense
E.g. You’re talking nonsense!
