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-ful. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-ful, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-ful in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-ful you have here. The definition of the word
-ful will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-ful, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Inherited 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 Scots -fu, Saterland Frisian -ful (“-ful”), West Frisian -fol (“-ful”), Dutch -vol (“-ful”), German -voll (“-ful”), Swedish -full (“-ful”), Icelandic -fullur, -fyllur (“-ful”).
Suffix
-ful
- Used to form adjectives from nouns, with the sense of being full of, tending to, or thoroughly possessing the quality expressed by the noun.
- sin + -ful → sinful
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 2
Inherited from Middle English -ful, from Old English -ful, -full, from Proto-Germanic *fullō, *fullijô (“filling”).
Suffix
-ful
- Used to form nouns from nouns meaning “as much as can be held by what is denoted by the noun”
- bowl + -ful → bowlful
- hand + -ful → handful
Usage notes
The plural is formed by pluralizing the noun (e.g., librariesful) or by simply suffixing -s (e.g., libraryfuls).
Derived terms
Translations
See also
- (having a considerable amount of): -some
Anagrams
Middle English
Alternative forms
- -fol, -fole, -foll, -folle, -fule, -full, -fulle, -vol, -vole, -voll, -volle
Etymology
Inherited from Old English -ful, -full (“full of; -ful”), from Proto-West Germanic *-full, 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
Suffix
-ful
- Appended to nouns (or, rarely, adjectives and adverbs) to form adjectives denoting the experience or induction of an attitude, internal state or quality.
- Appended to nouns referring to containers or vessels, denoting the quantity that the given vessel is capable of holding.
Derived terms
Descendants
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.
Old English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *-fullaz (“-ful”), from Proto-Germanic *fullaz (“full”).
Pronunciation
Suffix
-ful
- full of; -ful
Declension
Declension of -ful — Strong
Declension of -ful — Weak
Derived terms
Descendants
Saterland Frisian
Suffix
-ful
- Used to form adjectives from nouns; -ful