Compound Adjectives: How to Write a Compound Adjective

A compound adjective is an adjective made up of more than one word that acts as a single unit to modify a person, place, animal or object. 

They are sometimes called phrasal adjectives or stacked modifiers. Like all adjectives, compound adjectives add vividness to writing, bringing content to life. 

But they should be used mindfully and punctuated correctly to ensure they help — and don’t hinder — your audience’s understanding. 

Get insight into what compound adjectives are, how to write a compound adjective, and more. Then, review your grammar, spelling, and punctuation with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.

When Are Compound Adjectives Needed?

Compound adjectives can add even more specific descriptions of a person, place, animal or object. They also provide a smoother read. 

For an additional level of detail

Using a compound adjective provides additional information to a reader. The right compound adjective can pack a lot of detail into a short phrase. For instance:

• Jenny is a well-read person.

The compound adjective well-read delivers additional information that doesn’t need to be spelled out. The reader understands that Jenny has read many books and can infer she is knowledgeable about one or more subjects. The reader may even infer Jenny is scholarly and intelligent. One intentional and well-placed compound adjective can provide a clear description. 

For a smoother read

A compound adjective, when used correctly, can make writing smoother. For instance, one could say:

• The fast car moved through the intersection quickly when the light turned green.

With compound adjectives, those sentences can be combined with sentence modifiers:

• The fast-moving car sped through the intersection quickly when the light turned green.

Compounding adjectives aren't technically needed because, by definition, they are combinations of already existing adjectives. However, using compound adjectives often provides a smoother, better-paced read.

How to Form a Compound Adjective

Most compound adjectives are formed by two different forms of speech connected with a hyphen, separated with a space, or combined into one word.

Adjective and nouns

The combination may be noun-adjective or adjective-noun:

• This is a time-sensitive project.
• She gave a crystal-clear explanation.
• We have an off-site meeting tomorrow.
• It is a self-service restaurant.

Sometimes, the construction may include an article to complete the compound adjective phrase:

• Our campaign received a best-in-class award.
• She picked up an over-the-counter medication for her cold at the pharmacy.

Numbers (as adjectives) can also be used in this compound adjective construction.

• We received a first-class service at the hotel
• I prefer buying secondhand clothing. 

Adjective and verb participles

An adjective can be combined with a verb’s present participle (ending in -ing) or the past participle (ending in -ed for regular verbs) to form a compound adjective.

• This is slow-moving traffic!
• Our product was fast-tracked to launch.
• Please turn in a double-spaced draft by Tuesday.

Noun and verb participles

A noun can be combined with a verb’s present participle (ending in -ing) or the past participle (ending in -ed for regular verbs) to form a compound adjective.

• Check out the handcrafted gifts at the farmer’s market.
• I use only water-based paints.

Two nouns

Together, two nouns can form a compound adjective that modifies a noun. Occasionally, a preposition or an article may be used to create the adjectival phrase:

• They saw a life-size replica of the Statue of Liberty.
• Check out our state-of-the-art facilities.
• The grassroots effort raised public awareness.

Adverb and verb participles

An adverb can be combined with a verb’s present participle (ending in -ing) or the past participle (ending in -ed for regular verbs) to form a compound adjective.

• Our deck was well-received at the presentation.
• She is widely recognized as an expert in the field.
• His carefully written content delivers a clear message.
• The poorly designed ad didn’t make an impact.
• Start with a finely crafted message. 

When Are Compound Adjectives Hyphenated (or Not)?

No one rule covers all hyphenation for compound adjectives, but some general rules can give a writer a clue. 

Hyphenate according to placement in the sentence

When the compound adjective appears before the noun it describes, it is usually hyphenated. It is not hyphenated if it comes after the noun it describes. 

• Our well-received deck made an impact during the presentation.
• Her latest novel is a well-written book.
• At the presentation, our deck was well received.
• Her latest book is well written.

Some compound adjectives are always hyphenated

Regardless of their placement in a sentence, some compound adjectives are hyphenated on every use. When in doubt, consult a dictionary, but here are some general guidelines:

• Beginning with “self”:
  
  • Her drive to be successfully self-employed was inspiring.
• Preceding words that are capitalized:
  
  • She adores post-Edwardian style.
• Preceding decades or numbers:
  
  • The mid-20th-century architecture was fascinating to look at.
• Comparative or superlative compound adjectives:
  
  • More people should read their high-quality newsletter.
• When age is used as a modifier:
  
  • I have a ninety-year-old grandparent.

Some compound adjectives always appear as one word

Some compound adjectives look like one word made up of two words, with no hyphen or space between them. The trouble is, there is no rule for this. Some common examples include:

• The homesick camper wrote home every day.
• The homemade marinara here is excellent!
• That handcrafted scarf is beautiful.

Don’t hyphenate with -LY adverbs 

In an adverb + verb participle construction, the compound adjective is typically not hyphenated.

• Incorrect: She is a widely-recognized expert.
  
  • Correct: She is a widely recognized expert.
• Incorrect: They were overly-critical of our report!
  
  • Correct:  They were overly critical of our report.
• Incorrect: They are highly-skilled at their work.
  
  • Correct: They are highly skilled at their work.

If the Adjective has three or more words

When a compound adjective is more than two words, a hyphen provides clarity for the reader. In most cases, each word is hyphenated to show the phrase is acting as one unit to modify the noun (however, there are exceptions):

• This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!
• Their well-thought-out campaign was a success.
• Her matter-of-fact tone surprised them.

Then, if one of the adjectives is already a compound word, the hyphen goes just after the last two words before the noun:

• My brother prefers New England-style clam chowder.
• She finished the race in a world record-breaking time.
• New York-style pizza is a favorite for tourists visiting the city.

To provide clarity in compound constructions

Now and then, a hyphen can clarify a group of words to help indicate which word is modifying and which is being modified. 

• The app was a user-friendly tool that streamlined productivity.

A hyphen in this case clarifies that the app is easy to use, and it’s user-friendly; instead of friendly being a description of the user.

Overly Compound Adjectives Aren’t Helpful to a Reader

If a compound adjective feels clunky and hyphenation makes the sentence cumbersome, the better solution is to rewrite it. 

The purpose of a compound adjective is to enhance reading by adding detail and simplifying flow. When it muddles the message, it’s not helping the content or the reader. 

For example: 

• The over-the-top-and-out-of-this-world performance received a standing ovation.

Becomes:

• The performance was over-the-top and completely out-of-this-world; it received a standing ovation.

Always seek out the clarity of the message over the complexity of construction.

Use Compound Adjectives to Enhance Content

When a compound adjective helps tell a story and bring content to life, it is a great asset to a writer. But there is no rule saying compound adjectives must be used in every case to double up on modifying nouns. At times, separating adjectives and changing the flow of a sentence makes your message come across more clearly. 

The intent of all professional writing is to be clear, concise and engaging. Use compound modifiers with this in mind, and they will uplift your copy. 

Conveniently review your copy for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.

Then discover more grammar best practices in our top guides:

• What Is an Ellipsis in Writing?
• Exclamatory Sentences: A Complete Overview
• What Are Verb Tenses? 12 Types of Verb Tenses
• What Are Irregular Verbs? + Examples of 33 Irregular Verbs