-er
4 of 5adjective suffix or adverb suffix
Examples of er in a Sentence
Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
These are the five — er, six — Carney counts as can’t-miss, along with his commentary.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024
My last trip comprised heading straight up a mountain, turning around at its summit, and letting ‘er rip on the way down, within reason.
—Josh Max, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
The Walking Dead is over, but like the zombies at the heart (er, brains?) of the tale, the franchise lives on.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
But these are, er, Extreme measures for Fisker that could presage the end of the company.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore have had a rough road trying to become top dogs—er, wolves—in the NBA this week.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
The birds — er, Allbirds — are singing a sweet, sweet song.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
However, a glimpse behind the curtain — er, uh, envelope — has emerged in backstage photos.
—Dustin Nelson, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'er.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Adjective suffix or adverb suffix
Middle English -er, -ere, -re, from Old English -ra (in adjectives), -or (in adverbs); akin to Old High German -iro, adjective comparative suffix, Latin -ior, Greek -iōn
Noun suffix
Middle English -er, -ere, -ier, -iere; partly from Old English -ere (from Latin -arius); partly from Old French -ier, -iere, from Latin -arius, -aria, -arium -ary; partly from Anglo-French -ere, from Latin -ator -or — more at -ary, -or
Articles Related to er
Dictionary Entries Near er
Cite this Entry
“Er.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/er. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
-er
1 of 2 adjective suffix or adverb suffix-er
2 of 2 noun suffixAdjective suffix or adverb suffix
Old English -ra (adjective suffix) or Old English -or (adverb suffix)
Noun suffix
derived from Old English -ere and Latin -arius (both noun suffixes)
Medical Definition
Er
1 of 2 symbolER
2 of 2 abbreviation
More from Merriam-Webster on er
Nglish: Translation of er for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of er for Arabic Speakers
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