English Word Root: ive

making adjectives from verbs, pertaining to, tending to, doing
Each root has sample words and meanings. Click the Example button, you can get lots of sentences selected from classic works and modern media.
Free Online Vocabulary Test
K12, SAT, GRE, IELTS, TOEFL
 Word Samples
1 abortive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless
2 abrasive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. rubbing away; tending to grind down
3 abusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. coarsely insulting; physically harmful; characterized by improper or wrongful use
4 adaptive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having a capacity for adaptation; capable of adapting
5 addictive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. something you cannot stop taking once you have started
6 adhesive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. sticky; glutinous; tending to persist
7 affective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. sentimental; emotional; emotionally charged
8 affirmative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. confirmative; ratifying; giving assent or approval; confirming
9 aggressive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. making assaults; unjustly attacking; combative; hostile; tending to spread quickly
10 apprehensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. capable of apprehending; knowing; conscious; relating to the faculty of apprehension; sensible; feeling; perceptive
11 assertive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. positive; affirming confidently; affirmative; peremptory
12 attentive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. alert and watchful; considerate; thoughtful
13 attractive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. very pleasing in appearance or sound; inviting or tempting
14 authoritative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial
15 automotive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. of or relating to motor vehicles; moving by itself; self-propelling
16 cognitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. knowing or perceiving; part of mental functions that deals with logic
17 cohesive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. cohering or tending to cohere; well-integrated
18 collective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. common; assembled into or viewed as a whole
19 comparative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. based on, or involving comparison
20 competitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. wanting very much to win or be more successful than other people
21 comprehensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. thorough; including all or everything; broad in scope
22 compulsive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having the power to compel; exercising or applying compulsion.
23 conclusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. decisive or convincing; achieved easily or by a large margin
24 consecutive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. following one after another without interruption; sequential
25 conservative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change
26 contemplative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. deeply or seriously thoughtful
27 cooperative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. done with or working with others
28 corrosive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. eating away by chemicals or disease
29 cumulative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. increasing by successive addition
30 cursive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. flowing, as writing letters joined one to another without raising pen; running
31 deceptive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. misleading, likely or attempting to deceive; fraudulent
32 decorative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. ornamental; embellishing; serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose
33 defective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having a faulty; imperfect or incomplete
34 defensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. intended or appropriate for defending against; protective
35 definitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. final; complete; precisely defined or explicit
36 derivative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. unoriginal; derived from another source
37 destructive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. causing great and irreparable harm or damage
38 digestive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. relating to or having the power to cause or promote digestion
39 diminutive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. below the average size; very small; little
40 discursive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects
41 distinctive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. special; unique; marking or expressing distinction or difference
42 effective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. efficient; productive; producing a strong impression or response
43 effusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. pouring forth; uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
44 elusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. difficult to describe; difficult to detect or grasp by the mind
45 evasive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger; deliberately vague or ambiguous
46 evocative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to call up emotions, memories
47 excessive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. extreme; inordinate; too much
48 exclusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. not divided or shared with others; excluding much or all; not allowing something else
49 exhaustive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. treating all parts or aspects without omission; comprehensive
50 expansive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. outgoing and sociable; broad and extensive; able to increase in size
51 expensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. high in price or charging high prices; costing a lot of money
52 explosive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending or serving to sudden outburst; sudden and loud
53 expressive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. effectively conveying thought or feeling; indicative
54 extensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. widespread; far-reaching; wide
55 festive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. offering fun and gaiety; joyous; celebratory
56 fictive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. fictional, relating to imaginative creation
57 figurative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. not literal, but metaphorical;  not with their basic meaning but with a more imaginative meaning  
58 formative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. developing; forming; capable of forming or molding
59 fugitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. lasting only a short time
60 furtive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
61 hypersensitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having an allergy or peculiar or excessive susceptibility
62 illusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. deceptive; misleading; based on or having the nature of an illusion
63 imaginative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. marked by independence and creativity in thought or action
64 impassive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. without feeling; revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited
65 impressive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. making a strong or vivid impression; producing a strong effect
66 impulsive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having a power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent
67 incisive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. penetrating, clear, and sharp, as in operation or expression
68 inclusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to include all; taking a great deal or everything within its scope
69 inconclusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. without any clear results or proof
70 indicative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. suggestive; implying; serving to indicate
71 inexpensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. relatively low in price or charging low prices; not costing a lot of money
72 informative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. instructive and illustrative; providing or conveying information
73 innovative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. marked by or given to innovations; introducing a change
74 inoffensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. harmless; innocent; giving no offense
75 inquisitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. disposed to ask questions, especially in matters which do not concern the inquirer; given to examination, investigation, or research
76 instinctive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. unthinking; prompted by instinct; spontaneous
77 instructive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. serving to instruct or enlighten or inform; enlightening
78 intensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. thorough; concentrated; tending to give force or emphasis
79 interactive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. capable of acting on or influencing each other
80 introspective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. looking within oneself; thoughtful about oneself; studying or exhibiting one's own internal state
81 intuitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. based on feelings rather than facts or proof; automatic, without requiring conscious thought
82 invasive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to spread aggressively; tending to invade
83 inventive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. marked by independence and creativity in thought or action
84 irrespective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. without regard for conditions, circumstances, or consequences; unbiased; independent
85 laxative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having a tendency to loosen or relax.
86 lucrative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. profitable; producing good profit
87 manipulative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. serving, tending or having the power to manipulate; performed by manipulation
88 massive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. enormous; colossal; consisting of great mass; containing a great quantity of matter
89 naive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. too willing to believe that someone is telling the truth, lacking worldly experience
90 native   Speak   Example Sentences
a. being as origin; as found in nature in the elemental form
91 objective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. not influenced by emotions; having actual existence or reality
92 obsessive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. excessive in degree or nature; preoccupying
93 obtrusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. inclined to intrude or thrust one's self or one's opinions upon others; enter uninvited; forward; pushing; intrusive.
94 offensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. causing anger, displeasure, resentment, or affront
95 operative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having the power of acting; exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects
96 oppressive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe, rigorous, or harsh
97 passive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. lacking in energy or will; peacefully resistant in response to injustice
98 pejorative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to make or become worse; disparaging or belittling
99 pensive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. deeply, often dreamily thoughtful; engaged in serious thought or reflection; contemplative
100 perceptive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. insightful; aware; wise; having the ability to perceive
101 permissive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. approving; tolerant; granting; not strict in discipline
102 persuasive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. capable of convincing; having the power to induce action or belief
103 pervasive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. pervading; spread throughout every part
104 photosensitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. sensitive to visible light
105 plaintive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. expressing sorrow, mournful or melancholy; sad
106 positive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. involving advantage or good ; greater than zero; very sure; confident
107 possessive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having or showing a desire to control or dominate
108 postoperative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. happening or done after a surgical operation
109 primitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. belonging to an early stage; simple or naive in style; primeval
110 productive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. having quality or power of producing; yielding or furnishing results
111 progressive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. forward-looking; advancing; incremental
112 prohibitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to discourage; prohibiting; forbidding
113 propulsive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. driving forward; having power to propel
114 prospective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. expected or expecting to be something particular in the future
115 provocative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. arousing anger or interest; tending to provoke or stimulate
116 punitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. punishing; involving punishment; awarding or inflicting punishment
117 qualitative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. relating to quality; having the character of quality
118 quantitative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. expressed or expressible as a quantity; relating to the measurement of quantity
119 receptive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions; capable of receiving
120 reflective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. throwing back images; produced by, or resulting from reflection
121 remunerative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. compensating; rewarding; profitable or paying
122 reproductive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. producing new life or offspring
123 repulsive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to repel or drive off; causing repugnance or aversion; disgusting
124 respective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. individual; relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; respectful; regardful
125 responsive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. reactive; readily reacting to people or events; showing emotion
126 restive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. impatient under restraint or opposition; resisting control; difficult to control
127 restrictive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending or serving to restrict; limiting; confining
128 retentive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. holding; having quality, power, or capacity of retaining, as to retain knowledge with ease
129 retroactive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. extending in scope or effect to a prior time or prior conditions
130 retrospective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. looking back on, or directed to the past; applying to or influencing the past
131 sedative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to calm, moderate, or tranquilize
132 seductive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to lead astray; apt to mislead by flattering appearances; tempting; alluring
133 sensitive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. easily upset by the things people say or do; responsive to external conditions
134 sportive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. playful; relating to or interested in sports
135 subjective   Speak   Example Sentences
a. occurring or taking place in person's mind rather than external world; unreal
136 submissive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. yielding; inclined or ready to submit
137 substantive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. essential; not imaginary; actual or real
138 subtractive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. involving subtraction; having the minus sign; tending to subtract
139 subversive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. tending to overthrow; in opposition to civil authority or government
140 successive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. consecutive; happening one after the other without any break
141 tentative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. hesitant; not fully worked out or developed; experimental; not definite or positive
142 unobtrusive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. inconspicuous; not obtrusive or undesirably noticeable
143 vindictive   Speak   Example Sentences
a. seek revenge or intended for revenge; showing malicious will
144 vituperative   Speak   Example Sentences
a. marked by harsh spoken or written abuse; scolding