A compound adjective is a fixed expression which is made up of more than one word and which has the function of an adjective. Most compound adjectives are written with a hyphen, but a few are written as one word:

skin-deep     long-term     threadbare

The following types of compound adjective usually have main stress on the first part:

• compound adjectives usually written as one word
  • ‘ airtight ‘ carefree ‘ praise , worthy
  • Exceptions: , nation ‘ wide, , hand ‘ made
• noun + -ing form
  • ‘ hair- , raising ‘ fee- , paying ‘ time-con,suming
• noun + past participle
  • ‘ poverty- , stricken ‘ pear-shaped ‘ health-re,lated
  • Exceptions: , eagle- ‘ eyed, , home- ‘ grown

The following types of compound adjective usually have main stress on the second part:

• noun + adjective
  • , fat- ‘ free , sky- ‘ high , snow- ‘ white
  • Exception: ‘ camera-shy
• adjective + noun
  • , long – ‘ term , full – ‘ length , high – ‘ profile
• adverb or adjective + past participle
  • , fully- ‘ grown , long- ‘ sighted , well – ‘ dressed
• adverb or adjective + -ing form
  • , easy- ‘ going , hard – ‘ working , well – ‘ meaning
  • Exceptions: ‘ backward – , look ing, ‘ forward- , looking
• self- as the first part
  • , self- ‘ confident , self-in ‘ flicted , self- ‘ governing

Most compound adjectives with main stress on the second part can have stress shift. Compare:

• The tiger was fully-GROWN. but: It was a FULly-grown TIger.
• The prices were sky-HIGH. but: They were SKY-high PRIces.