Compound words are an integral part of everyday vocabulary. Two different words with different meanings combine to form a compound word, which has a unique meaning as well.

Here’s an example for you to understand what compound words are.

Consider the word brainstorm.

It is made up of two words with different meanings- Brain and Storm.

We combine both the words to get brainstorm, which is the compound word.

Compound words can be nouns or adjectives, depending on how you want to use them in your sentence.

What are Compound Words?

As mentioned earlier, compound words are the combination of two different words. The compound word has a different meaning than the words it is made up of.

You can write the compound words separately or using a hyphen. You can also use it as one word.

250+ Compound Words List of Examples

There are zillion compound words in English. Students usually do not pay attention to them. But, these words are added almost daily to our vocabulary. We often end up creating compound words unknowingly.

Compound Words Examples

  1. Toothbrush
  2. Scapegoat
  3. Lighthearted
  4. Aftermath
  5. Ironclad
  6. Daredevil
  7. Backbone
  8. Grown-up
  9. Sweetmeat
  10. Traffic jam
  11. Lifeboat
  12. Jellyfish
  13. Horseshoe
  14. Headache
  15. Frostbite
  16. Buttermilk
  17. Fireflies
  18. Bankroll
  19. Butterflies
  20. Afterlife
  21. Airlift
  22. Afternoon
  23. Backdrop
  24. Baseball
  25. Aeroplane
  26. Backslap
  27. Teaspoon
  28. Crosswalk
  29. Backspin
  30. Cheesecake
  31. Backspin
  32. Airport
  33. Crosswalk
  34. Crewcut
  35. Skylight
  36. Backstop
  37. Babysitter
  38. Passport
  39. Anyplace
  40. Daydream
  41. Uptime
  42. Foresee
  43. Waxwork
  44. Dishwasher
  45. Schoolwork
  46. Carpool
  47. Basketball
  48. Moonscape
  49. Rawhide
  50. Backlog
  51. Eggshell
  52. Crossbow
  53. Scarecrow
  54. Crossbow
  55. Jailbird
  56. Bedroll
  57. Carrack
  58. Glassmaking
  59. Bookkeeper
  60. Bedrock
  61. Bookseller
  62. Careworn
  63. Earring
  64. Inroad
  65. Snakeskin
  66. Dishpan
  67. Oneself
  68. Candlestick
  69. Helpmate
  70. Comedown
  71. Northeast
  72. Anytime
  73. Sunflower
  74. Teaspoon
  75. Raindrop
  76. Softball
  77. Cardboard
  78. Leapfrog
  79. Bluegrass
  80. Caretaker
  81. Slowdown
  82. Wheelchair
  83. Earthward
  84. Infusion
  85. Sideshow
  86. Nobody
  87. Eyewitness
  88. Sunglasses
  89. Lifeguard
  90. Telltale
  91. Skateboard
  92. Grandparent
  93. Pickup
  94. Dropdown
  95. Riverbanks
  96. Outdoors
  97. Indoors
  98. Grandmother
  99. Upstream
  100. Downstream
  101. Sometimes
  102. Schoolhouse
  103. Moonlight
  104. Hereof
  105. However
  106. Lawsuit
  107. Hereupon
  108. Ideal
  109. Jerkwater
  110. Layman
  111. Highchair
  112. Inchworm
  113. Layover
  114. Layoff
  115. Layout
  116. Inkblot
  117. Keynote
  118. Limelight
  119. Lifelike
  120. Lifeblood
  121. Horseback
  122. Homemade
  123. Inset
  124. Keystroke
  125. Meanwhile
  126. Mainstream
  127. Housework
  128. Backstage
  129. Bankroll
  130. Backspin
  131. Newfound
  132. Parkway
  133. Pawnshop
  134. Rainmaker
  135. Moonscape
  136. Paycheck
  137. Notebook
  138. Moreover
  139. Motherhood
  140. Rattletrap
  141. Nearby
  142. Nevermore
  143. Passbook
  144. Newsdealer
  145. Repairman
  146. Redcap
  147. Pinstripe
  148. Pinhole
  149. Playmate
  150. Overshoes
  151. Sandstone
  152. Racquetball
  153. Newsstand
  154. Newsbreak
  155. Noisemaker
  156. Raindrop
  157. Railway
  158. Shipbuilder
  159. Shipload
  160. Sharecropper
  161. Suntan
  162. Sunray
  163. Sundial
  164. Speedboat
  165. Standby
  166. Tadpole
  167. Teammate
  168. Together
  169. Toolbox
  170. Tagalong
  171. Supercharge
  172. Teardrop
  173. Superhero
  174. Underestimate
  175. Underfur
  176. Upright
  177. Uppermost
  178. Washtub
  179. Wastepaper
  180. Watchband
  181. Waterlog
  182. Woodshop
  183. Whitewash
  184. Waterscape
  185. Wavelength
  186. Watertight
  187. Upon
  188. Undergo
  189. Undergraduate
  190. Underexpose
  191. Aboveboard
  192. Below
  193. Backpack
  194. Anyplace
  195. Afterglow
  196. Backstroke
  197. Backstretch
  198. Bookcase
  199. Duckpin
  200. Daytime
  201. Carefree
  202. Carsick
  203. Bugspray
  204. Footprints
  205. Footrest
  206. Haircut
  207. Herein
  208. Hereby
  209. Hereabout
  210. Housework
  211. Horseplay
  212. Jackpot
  213. Lapwing
  214. Backspace
  215. Bellhop
  216. Newsprint
  217. Salesclerk
  218. Rubberband
  219. Pathway
  220. Passkey
  221. Sunray
  222. Spearmint
  223. Soapstone
  224. Shoemaker
  225. Showplace
  226. Sheepskin
  227. Tenderfoot
  228. Turnkey
  229. Wanderlust
  230. Upstanding
  231. Upend
  232. Wipeout
  233. Commonwealth
  234. Eyeballs
  235. Fishbowl
  236. Fishmonger
  237. Handmade
  238. Mainspring
  239. Longhorn

Different Types of Compound Words with Examples

There are three types of compound words-

Closed-form Compound Words

These are formed when two unique words combine to create a new word.

Examples:

  1. Grasshopper
  2. Everything
  3. Cannot
  4. Bullfrog
  5. Moviegoer
  6. Newspaper

Open-form Compound Words

Two separate words combine to develop a new idea and the open compound word with a unique meaning.

Examples:

  1. Real estate
  2. Boy Scouts
  3. Sweet tooth
  4. Peanut butter
  5. High school
  6. Ice cream
  7. Hot dog
  8. Cave in
  9. Grand jury
  10. Attorney general
  11. Paperback book
  12. Cream cheese
  13. Mountain bike
  14. Jogging pants
  15. Racing car

Hyphenated Compound Words

These are made up of two separate words, and a hyphen joins them together to form a new word.

Examples:

  1. Up-to-date
  2. Merry-go-around
  3. Two-fold
  4. Mother-in-law
  5. Father-in-law
  6. Long-term
  7. Check-in
  8. Over-the-counter
  9. One-half
  10. Family-run business
  11. Full-time worker
  12. State-of-the-art features
  13. Empty-handed
  14. Man-eating
  15. Self-esteem

Purpose of Compound Words

The purpose of compound words is to convey your message in fewer words instead of using chunky paragraphs or wordy sentences. You can provide all the information you need without using excessive and redundant words.

You can make your ideas more descriptive and interesting through compound words. However, you have to be careful while using compound words. The excessive usage of these words makes the writing messy. Use them wisely.

Consider compound words as the seasoning on a pizza. You need to sprinkle some of them to improve your writing instead of making your write-up entirely about the compound words.

Wrapping Up,

You already use compound words, whether verbally or in written communication. You just haven’t realized it yet. This blog has shared some of the most common examples of compound words. But, you have to make sure the words are relevant to the context before using them in the write-up.

Need Assistance? Connect with our Qualified Tutors

It takes time and effort to get the hang of compound words, especially how to use them in writing without making things messy. Thus, our highly qualified English tutors are here to explain the entire process to you. Whether you need more examples of compound words or guidance for using them in sentences, the tutors are here at your disposal. Connect with us and clarify all doubts without a second thought.

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