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
But thanks to an astrological reader, a Christmas miracle (er, misfire?) strikes and leaves the family waking up in each other's bodies on the most important day of their lives. Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024 Bottle pee–er Dwayne Johnson, who voices the boisterous South Pacific super-human Maui in Moana 2, logged two movies in the top five over the weekend; his Amazon MGM Christmas-on-creatine action flick, Red One, came in a distant fourth with $18.7 million in North American receipts. Chris Lee, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2024 Before posting the content of er children, Kardashian shared snaps of her idyllic Thanksgiving dining table. Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024 Watch the video above for more, and look to the western skies, er, EW for more from our conversation with Chenoweth, Menzel, Grande, and Erivo next week. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near er

Cite this Entry

“Er.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/er. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

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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