在英語合成詞中，合成名詞(compound nouns)數量很多，而且可以按照既定規律自行構造新詞。

合成名詞構造法主要有下列八種：

①名詞+名詞，如

daybreak, sunrise, cattleshed, house-keeper, shoe-maker, headache, night-club, pocket-knife, arm-chair, wine-glass, ink-stand, man-servant, maid-servant, steamboat, goldsmith, newspaper, lawsuit等。

②形容詞+名詞，如

blackboard, commonweath, highway, stronghold, sweetheart, easy-chair, grandson, blueprint, deadline, high-brow, lazy-bones等。

③動詞+名詞，如

drawbridge, grindstone, playground, pickpocket, breakfast, cut-throat, makeshift, sing-song, turn-coat, washbasin 等。

④副詞虛詞+名詞，如

afterthought, offshoot, outbreak, byway, bylaw, outpost, overcoat, underclothes, outgrowth, downpour, upkeep, bystander等。

⑤副詞虛詞+動詞，如

income, outlet, outlook, onset, outfit, upstart, inlet, offspring, outburst, offset等。

⑥動詞+副詞，如

die-hard, breakdown, drawback, set-up, break-up, farewell, standstill, feedback等。

⑦名詞+動名詞，如

book-keeping, town-planning, letter-writing, word-building, tiger-hunting, paper-manufacturing, bill-collecting, car-repairing, television-advertising, window-shopping, day-dreaming, photocopying, handwriting等。

⑧其他，如

man-of-war, forget-me-not, son-in-law, mother-in-law, commander-in-chief, editor-in-chief, merry-go-round, hide-and-seek, stay-at-home, jack-in-the-box等。

在這8種構詞法中，第7類“名詞+動名詞”最富生命力。此外，動名詞還可以下列三形式構成合成名詞：

㈠動名詞+名詞，如

drinking water, listening material, fishingrod, waiting-room, looking-glass, stepping-stone, running mate 等。

㈡動名詞+副詞虛詞，如

swearing-in, going-over

㈢副詞+動名詞，如

uprising, well-being 等。