ésima

ísima is a Spanish suffix that forms the feminine, intensifying or superlative degree of adjectives and, less commonly, adverbs. It corresponds to the masculine -ísimo and is used to express a very high degree or extreme quality, as in altísima, bonísima, or riquísima. The form agrees in gender with the noun it modifies or with the subject when used predicatively.

In usage, -ísima attaches to the base adjective to create a strong emphasis or superlative sense. It is productive in contemporary Spanish and appears in both spoken and written language, often in informal or expressive contexts. It can convey admiration, praise, surprise, or emphasis, and may intensify positive or negative evaluations depending on the base adjective.

Examples illustrate its range. Bonita becomes bonitísima; rico becomes riquísimo; fácil becomes facilísima; feliz becomes felicísima. Some adjectives exhibit irregular or hybrid forms in the feminine, such as bueno yielding buenísima (and its masculine counterpart buenísimo). Grande frequently appears as grandísima or grandísimo, with gran used before nouns in other forms. These variations reflect the interaction between the suffix and the adjective’s base form.

Notes on nuance and style: -ísima is a high-intensity, informal-to-neutral option that can sound exuberant or emphatic. In very formal writing, alternatives such as intensifiers of a more restrained register may be preferred. Overall, it remains a productive and widely understood feature of contemporary Spanish morphology.