indicating a person who is engaged in a certain activity: prankster, songster
Compare -stressindicating a person associated with or being something specified: mobster, youngster
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
-ster, suffix.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- -ster is used to form nouns, often implying a bad sense, and referring esp. to one's occupation, habit, or association:game + -ster → gamester (= one greatly interested in games);trick + -ster → trickster (= one who uses or enjoys dishonest tricks).
-ster,
ster.,
- a suffix used in forming nouns, often derogatory, referring especially to occupation, habit, or association:gamester;songster;trickster.
- Middle English; Old English -estre; cognate with Dutch -ster, Middle Low German -(e)ster
ster.,
- sterling.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'ster' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
-ster
- -stress
- Brewster chair
- Brewster's law
- Frankenstein
- Gila monster
- Loch Ness monster
- aldosterone
- anabolic steroid
- androsterone
- aspartame
- body bolster
- bolster
- chicken lobster
- cholesterol
- corticosterone
- cost
- dabster
- deemster
- doomster
- dopester
- dragster
- fib
- funster
- gamester
- gangsta rap
- gangster
- golden hamster
- green-eyed monster
- gypster
- half-sterile
- hipster
- hoopster
- hopeful monster
- huckster
- isosteric
- jokester
- lamster
- lobster
- lobster Newburg
- lobster pot
- lobster roll
- lobster shift
- lobster thermidor
- lobster-tail helmet
- maltster
- mobster
- oldster
- pinkster flower
- pollster