Ful

[ fool ]

noun,plural Fuls, (especially collectively) Ful.

Words Nearby Ful

Other definitions for -ful (2 of 2)

-ful

  1. a suffix meaning “full of,” “characterized by” (shameful; beautiful; careful; thoughtful); “tending to,” “able to” (wakeful; harmful); “as much as will fill” (spoonful).

Origin of -ful

2
Middle English, Old English -full, -ful, representing full, fulfull1

usage note For -ful

The plurals of nouns ending in -ful are usually formed by adding -s to the suffix: two cupfuls; two scant teaspoonfuls. Perhaps influenced by the phrase in which a noun is followed by the adjective full ( both arms full of packages ), some speakers and writers pluralize such nouns by adding -s before the suffix: two cupsful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Ful in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for -ful

-ful

suffix
  1. (forming adjectives) full of or characterized by: painful; spiteful; restful

  2. (forming adjectives) able or tending to: helpful; useful

  1. (forming nouns) indicating as much as will fill the thing specified: mouthful; spoonful

Origin of -ful

1
Old English -ful, -full, from full 1

usage For -ful

Where the amount held by a spoon, etc, is used as a rough unit of measurement, the correct form is spoonful, etc: take a spoonful of this medicine every day . Spoon full is used in a sentence such as he held out a spoon full of dark liquid, where full of describes the spoon. A plural form such as spoonfuls is preferred by many speakers and writers to spoonsful

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012