er

1 of 5

interjection

ˈə How to pronounce er (audio)
usually with prolonged vowel
ˈä How to pronounce er (audio)
nonstandard
ˈər How to pronounce er (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Interjection
It ideally should be mainlined, er, consumed in its purest right-out-of the-jar form. Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025 So in addition to a fight...er, confidence coach, the team has four strength and conditioning coaches, a sports dietitian, a psychologist, a skating coach, a video coordinator and a director of goaltending. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025 Kansas City Chiefs: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri — Not a position of urgent/priority need — the best teams rarely have those — but, post-Tyreek Hill and with aging Travis Swift er Kelce in decline, Patrick Mahomes could use some help. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025 There’s plenty of fish, er, swimsuits in the sea — but celebrities keep on swimming back to this one style in particular. Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for er

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of er was in 1862

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Er.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/er. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on er

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