er

1 of 5

interjection

ˈə 

usually with prolonged vowel

ˈä 

nonstandard

ˈər 

—used to express hesitation

Er

2 of 5

symbol

erbium

ER

3 of 5

abbreviation

1

earned run

2

emergency room

-er

4 of 5

adjective suffix or adverb suffix

—used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable

hotter

drier

and of some adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables

completer

beautifuller

-er

5 of 5

noun suffix

variants or less commonly -ier or -yer

1

a

: person occupationally connected with

furrier

lawyer

b

: person or thing belonging to or associated with

header

old-timer

c

: native of : resident of

cottager

New Yorker

d

: one that has

three-decker

e

: one that produces or yields

porker

2

a

: one that does or performs (a specified action)

batter

—sometimes added to both elements of a compound

builder-upper

b

: one that is a suitable object of (a specified action)

broiler

3

: one that is

foreigner

—in all senses -yer in a few words after w, -ier in a few other words, otherwise -er

Examples of er in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Interjection

The Heavy Armored Knight has a much, er, heavier looking set of plate armor and carries what appears to be a falchion-style Greatsword. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025

These women share advice ranging from diet to fitness to mental health, and their messaging is not, er, sugarcoated. —Gracie Wiener, Air Mail, 3 May 2025

The actor plays twins who return to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi in an attempt to turn over a new leaf but are met with some unexpectedly, er, complicated events. —Andrea Wurzburger, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025

It ideally should be mainlined, er, consumed in its purest right-out-of the-jar form. —Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Interjection

1862, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for er

• birr
• blur
• bur
• cur
• fir
• fur
• furr
• gurr
• her
• murr
• myrrh
• per

Kids Definition

-er

1 of 2 adjective suffix or adverb suffix

ər;

 after some vowels, often  r;

 after  ŋ,

 usually  gər

—used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable

hotter

drier

and of some adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables

completer

beautifuller

-er

2 of 2 noun suffix

ər;

 after some vowels, often  r

variants also -ier

ē-ər,

yər

or -yer

yər

1

a

: person connected with a particular job or occupation

furrier

lawyer

b

: person or thing belonging to or associated with

old-timer

c

: native of

New Yorker

: resident of

cottager

d

: one that has

double-decker

e

: one that produces or yields

porker

2

a

: one that does or performs (a specified action)

reporter

b

: one that is a suitable object of (a specified action)

broiler

3

: one that is

foreigner

Etymology

Adjective 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 symbol

erbium

ER

2 of 2 abbreviation

1

emergency room

2

extended-release