What Is a Compound Adjective? Definition, List and Helpful Examples

Compound adjectives can be formed as follows:

1. Adjective + Past participle

• narrow-minded

I can’t stand narrow-minded people who are intolerant of new ideas.

• high-spirited

The students gave a high-spirited musical performance.

• old-fashioned

We had lunch in an old-fashioned restaurant.

• short-haired

He was dancing with a short-haired woman.

• absent-minded

His absent-minded comment hurt his sister’s feelings.

• strong-willed

She’s a strong-willed woman who won’t stop until she gets what she wants.

• quick-witted

The quick-witted detective solved the crime before anyone else had a clue.

• kind-hearted

A kind-hearted stranger helped us find the train station.

2. Adverb + Past Participle

• well-behaved

They have three well-behaved children.

• well-educated

A lot of well-educated people are still having trouble finding jobs.

• densely-populated

This densely-populated area has the highest crime rates in the country.

• widely-recognized

She’s a widely-recognized expert in technology.

• highly-respected

Our speaker tonight is a highly-respected scholar.

• brightly-lit

We live on a brightly-lit street in the city center.

3. Noun + Past Participle

• 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

A lot of middle-aged men are dissatisfied with their lives.

4. Noun + Present Participle

• English-speaking

The United Kingdom is an English-speaking country.

• time-saving

These time-saving techniques will help you work more efficiently.

• record-breaking

The athlete’s record-breaking performance won him the gold medal.

• mouth-watering

There was a variety of mouth-watering desserts at the wedding reception.

• thought-provoking

It was a thought-provoking novel.

5. Adjective + Present Participle

• good-looking

Who’s that good-looking guy over there?

• long-lasting

This long-lasting makeup will keep you looking lovely day and night.

• 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.

6. Adverb + Present Participle

• never-ending

Learning a language seems to be a never-ending process.

• forward-thinking

Some forward-thinking politicians are proposing reforms to the educational system.

7. Noun + Adjective

• world-famous

We had dinner at a world-famous Italian restaurant.

• ice-cold

There’s nothing better than drinking an ice-cold lemonade on a hot summer day.

• smoke-free

This is a smoke-free restaurant.

8. Adjective + Noun

• full-length

The director produced his first full-length movie in 1998.

• last-minute

It was a last-minute decision.

9. Noun + Noun

• part-time

We have 20 part-time members of staff .

10. Adjective + Adjective

• fat-free

These fat-free cookies are delicious!