-ful

See also: ful, fúl, fûl, fül, and ful-

Contents

English

Alternative forms

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Etymology

From Middle English -ful, -full, from Old English -ful, -full (“full of; -ful”), from Proto-Germanic *-fullaz (“-ful”), from Proto-Germanic *fullaz (“full”); see full. Cognate with Saterland Frisian -ful (“-ful”), West Frisian -fol (“-ful”), Dutch -vol (“-ful”), German -voll (“-ful”), Swedish -full (“-ful”), Icelandic -fullur, -fyllur (“-ful”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: fo͝ol, fəl, IPA^(key): /fʊl/, /fəl/
• Rhymes: -ʊl, -əl

Suffix

-ful

1. Used to form adjectives from nouns. Full of, tending to, or thoroughly possessing the quality expressed by the noun.
2. Used to form nouns from nouns meaning “as much as can be held by what is denoted by the noun”

   bowlful

   handful

3. Used to form nouns indicating a great deal of the quantity expressed by the noun.

   shitful

Antonyms

• -less

Derived terms

► English words suffixed with -ful

having the quality of the noun

• awful
• beautiful
• bountiful
• careful
• dimensionful
• doubtful
• fearful
• frightful
• gleeful
• graceful
• grateful
• harmful
• helpful
• hopeful
• hurtful
• merciful
• mindful
• molestful
• mournful
• needful
• painful
• plentiful
• scornful
• spiteful
• tasteful
• thankful
• thoughtful
• useful
• vengeful
• wonderful

as much as can be held by what is denoted by the noun

• bowlful
• boxful
• cuntful
• drawful
• glassful
• handful
• nationful
• nostrilful
• plateful
• pussyful
• mouthful
• shelfful

Anagrams

• 'flu, ULF, flu

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• -fule, -full, -fulle, -fol, -fole, -foll, -folle, -vol, -vole, -voll, -volle, -uol, -uole, -uoll, -uolle

Etymology

Old English -ful, -full (“full of; -ful”), from Proto-Germanic *-fullaz (“-ful”), from Proto-Germanic *fullaz (“full”). The use of the ending to denote nouns originates in the reanalysis of ful modifying a noun as being part of the noun itself, e.g. "cuppe ful" as "cuppe-ful".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ful/
• (southern dialects) IPA^(key): /vul/

Suffix

-ful

1. Appended to nouns (or, rarely, adjectives and adverbs) to form adjectives denoting the experience or induction of an attitude, internal state or quality.
2. Appended to nouns in the category of containers or vessels, denoting the quantity that the given vessel is capable of holding.

Derived terms

► Middle English words suffixed with -ful

Descendants

• English: -ful
• Scots: -fu

References

• “-ful (suf.1)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 22 June 2018.
• “-ful (suf.2)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 22 June 2018.

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Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ful/

Suffix

-ful

1. full of; -ful

Derived terms

► Old English words suffixed with -ful

Descendants

• Middle English: -full, -ful
  • English: -ful

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Saterland Frisian

Suffix

-ful

1. Used to form adjectives from nouns; -ful