The Prefix -dis

Many English prefixes tend to combine with only one grammatical category. The prefix -un combines with adjectives to form words such as uncertain, unhappy and unknown and the prefix -re produces redo, reexamine and resell. However, the prefix -dis combines with verbs, adjectives and nouns.

The following list illustrates that -dis combines with verbs, adjectives and nouns:

disallow
disappear
disapprove
disobey
disregard

dishonest
disloyal
disobedient
dissimilar
distasteful

disadvantage
disagreement
disapproval
disorder
disregard

Certain words belong to more than one grammatical category. For example, disadvantage and disregard can be both adjectives and nouns. In certain cases, the prefix -dis combines with the same root to form three grammatical categories as in disobey, disobedient and disobedience. In other cases, two grammatical categories are formed as in dishonest and dishonesty and in other cases only one grammatical category is possible as in distasteful.

In the case of discomfort, the prefix -un is needed to form uncomfortable. Dislike can be a verb and also a noun, but is more commonly used as a verb. Dissimilar is used far less than different.

The prefix -dis occurs in verbs, adjectives and nouns. In certain cases, the same root occurs in all three grammatical categories. Unlike other English prefixes which usually only occur in one grammatical category, the prefix -dis can occur in three.