蜜芽传媒

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Prefixes 3

You can change the meaning of some words by adding prefixes (extra letters at the beginning of words). For example, you can change the meaning of 'decorate' to mean 'decorate again' by adding 're' to the beginning of it to make 'redecorate'. When Sally said 'when we reopen' she meant 'when we open the cafe again after the holiday'.

Here are some common prefixes and their meanings:

re - again
count - recount (v): check the results of a competition or election again
do - redo (v): do something again
sit - resit (v): take an exam again because you failed it the first time you took it

out - do/be more than
run - outrun (v): run faster that someone or something else
fox - outfox (v): get an advantage over someone by being more clever or more cunning that him/her
dated - outdated (adj): out-of-date or no longer suitable for modern purposes

mini - little
series - miniseries (n): series of programmes broadcast over a short period of time
bus - minibus (n): small bus
skirt - miniskirt (n): short skirt

micro - very small
electronics - microelectronics (n): the study, science or manufacture of very small electronic parts for computers etc.
surgery - microsurgery (n): medical operations that are done using very small pieces of equipment and powerful microscopes
brewery - micro brewery (n): small independent business that produces small amounts of special beers

under - too little/not enough
paid - underpaid (adj): not getting enough money for the work you are doing
cooked - undercooked (adj): not cooked for long enough
staffed - understaffed (adj): with not enough workers to do a particular job quickly or efficiently

mal - bad/badly
treat - maltreat (v): deal with someone in a cruel or bad way
function - malfunction (v): not work properly or not work at all
nourished - malnourished (adj): becoming ill because you have not eaten enough food or the right food

mis - wrong/wrongly
count - miscount (v): wrongly calculate a number
fire - misfire (v): not work properly (about a gun or engine)
fit - misfit (n): a person who doesn't belong in a group because he or she acts differently to others in the group

Most words which are created with prefixes don't use hyphens. However, some do, for example, co (co-operate), pro (pro-government) and non (non-starter).

Some words with prefixes are hyphenated and other words with the same prefix aren't. For example, co-star and coexist or multilayered and multi-purpose. There's no hard and fast rule why this is the case. Use a good English-English dictionary to help you.

moving back to
returning to live with

loyal
firm and not changing your support for a business or product

cuppa (informal)
cup (of tea or coffee)

appointing
choosing someone for a job or giving it to him/her

think them over
consider them or think about them