 Compound adjectives in English from espressoenglish.net Have you ever noticed some English words with hyphens between them? For example, a well-known author, an English-speaking country, a three-hour movie, a part-time job, and a middle-aged woman. These are called compound adjectives, meaning an adjective that has two or more words. In this lesson, you're going to learn some compound adjectives with example sentences. We have compound adjectives with numbers. Three-second. There's a three-second delay. Ten-minute. Let's take a ten-minute break. Two-hour. She attended a two-hour seminar. Five-day. He went on a five-day trip. Six-week. We took a six-week course. One month. The penalty for cheating is a one-month suspension. Two-year. I have a two-year contract with my cell phone provider. Four-year-old. I have a four-year-old son. Twelve-story. We live in a twelve-story apartment building. Twenty-page. He handed me a twenty-page report. One common error is adding s. Don't use s at the end of compound adjectives with numbers. So don't say, let's take a ten-minute break. The correct sentence is, let's take a ten-minute break. We don't use s with compound adjectives with numbers. Another type of compound adjective is an adjective or an adverb plus a past participle. For example, narrow-minded. A person who is narrow-minded is not open to different ideas or thoughts. I can't stand narrow-minded people who are intolerant of new ideas. Well-behaved. They have three well-behaved children. Old-fashioned. We had lunch in an old-fashioned restaurant with decor from the 1950s. Densely populated. That means there's a lot of people in a small area. This densely populated area has the highest crime rates in the country. Short-haired. He was dancing with a short-haired woman. Widely recognized. She's a widely recognized expert in technology. High-spirited. This means with a lot of energy. The students gave a high-spirited musical performance. Well-educated. A lot of well-educated people are still having trouble finding jobs. Highly respected. Our speaker tonight is a highly respected scholar. Brightly lit. That means with a lot of bright light. We live on a brightly lit street in the city center. Absent-minded. If someone is absent-minded it means they are forgetful or they don't think about things. For example, his absent-minded comment hurt his sister's feelings. Strong-willed. A strong-willed person has strong desires, is stubborn and does not desist or give up. For example, she's a strong-willed woman who won't stop until she gets what she wants. Quick-witted. This means intelligent, clever, fast at thinking and discovering things. For example, the quick-witted detective solved the crime before anyone else had a clue. Middle-aged. A middle-aged person is around 40 or 50 years old. A lot of middle-aged men are dissatisfied with their lives. Kind-hearted is another way to say friendly and generous. For example, a kind-hearted stranger helped us find the train station. Another type of compound adjective involves having an adjective, adverb or noun plus the present participle. One example is good-looking. Someone who is good-looking is attractive, beautiful or handsome. Who's that good-looking guy over there? Long-lasting. This long-lasting makeup will keep you looking lovely day and night. Record-breaking. The athlete's record-breaking performance won him the gold medal. Never-ending. Learning a language seems to be a never-ending process. Mouth-watering. This word is used to describe foods that seem delicious. They make your mouth produce saliva in anticipation of eating this delicious food. For example, there was a variety of mouth-watering desserts at the wedding reception. Thought-provoking. Something that is thought-provoking makes you think. It was a thought-provoking novel. 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. Time-saving. These time-saving techniques will help you work more efficiently. Forward-thinking. This means someone who thinks in a creative and innovative way and is not stuck in old habits of thinking. For example, some forward-thinking politicians are proposing reforms to the educational system. Finally, here are a few other compound adjectives. Ice-cold. There's nothing better than drinking an ice-cold lemonade on a hot summer day. Last-minute. I hate it when my boss wants to make last-minute changes to a publication. Full-length. The director produced his first full-length movie in 1998. World-famous. We had dinner at a world-famous Italian restaurant. Fat-free, meaning without containing any fat. These fat-free cookies are delicious. If you'd like to master the details of the English language and get feedback on your writing, check out the Advanced English Grammar course at espressoenglish.net. If you're an intermediate, upper-intermediate or advanced English learner, this course will help you take your English from good to great.