10 English Words ending in -FUL

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1. cheerful = happy, full of positivity, in a good mood

I’m much more cheerful after I have my morning cup of coffee.

Opposite = grumpy

2. cupful = a full cup of something

The recipe says to add a cupful of sugar.

You can also use this for other measures:

  • handful = the quantity you can hold in your hand
  • spoonful = the quantity in a spoon
  • mouthful = the quantity you can hold in your mouth

3. faithful = staying dedicated to a person, project, or idea

Bob has been a faithful employee of this company for the past ten years.

Opposite = unfaithful

4. fruitful = producing a lot of something

Our magazine advertisements have been very fruitful – they’ve resulted in 500 new customers.

Opposite = unfruitful, unproductive

5. graceful = appearing or moving with elegance

The dancer gracefully lifted her arms.

Opposite = awkward

6. harmful = dangerous, causing problems

Smoking cigarettes has many harmful effects on your health.

Opposite = harmless

7. mindful = attentive, careful and observant

You should be mindful of how much TV you watch… if not, you could waste a lot of time.

Opposite: mindless

8. painful = describes something that hurts

I just had knee surgery, so walking is very painful.

Opposite: painless

9. rightful = describes what is right, fair, proper

The police found the stolen car and returned it to its rightful owner.

Opposite: illegitimate, wrongful

10. thoughtful = characterized by lots of thought

I enjoyed the thoughtful article about politics that was published yesterday.

Opposite: thoughtless

Note: The difference between “mindful” and “thoughtful” is that “mindful” means “paying attention,” and “thoughtful” means “thinking/considering a lot.”

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