In a previous lesson we learned 10 words ending in -less, which means without, and today we’ll learn 10 words ending in -ful, which means something like “full of”:
- Something that’s “beautiful” is full of beauty
- Someone who is “successful” is “full of success,” they have a lot of success.
Note that the suffix is -ful, only one L, different from the word “full” which has two Ls.
After learning these 10 words, download the free PDF lesson guide and try the quiz to practice them!
1. Cheerful = Happy, Full Of Positivity, In A Good Mood
- I’m much more cheerful after I have my morning cup of coffee.
2. Grateful = full of thanks, gratitude, appreciation
- We’re so grateful for all your help with this challenging project.
Note that we spell it grateful, not “greatful.”
3. Faithful = Staying Dedicated To A Person, Project, Or Idea
- Bob has been a faithful employee of this company for the past ten years.
4. Fruitful = Producing A Lot Of Something
- Our magazine advertisements have been very fruitful – they’ve resulted in 5000 new customers.
5. Skillful / Masterful = showing good/excellent ability
- Good leaders must be skillful in motivating their team.
- Everyone applauded after his masterful performance on the violin.
Masterful is even stronger than skillful because it implies that they’re not just good, they’re excellent, they’re a master of that ability or area.
6. Disgraceful / shameful = behavior that is not socially acceptable/decent
- After he calmed down, he apologized for his disgraceful outburst of anger.
- She used to lie and cheat on her boyfriends, but now she regrets her shameful past.
7. Mindful = Attentive and Observant
- You should be mindful of how much TV you watch… if not, you could waste a lot of time.
8. Wistful = Feeling a kind of sad desire
- My kids are all grown up now; looking at their baby pictures makes me wistful.
- She often speaks wistfully about her home country, which she fled because of war.
9. Rightful = Describes What Is Right, Fair, Proper
- The police found the stolen car and returned it to its rightful owner.
10. Thoughtful = Characterized By Lots Of Thought/consideration
- I enjoyed the thoughtful article about politics that was published yesterday.
Note: The difference between “mindful” and “thoughtful” is that “mindful” means “paying attention,” and “thoughtful” means “thinking/considering a lot.”
What other examples of words ending in -ful do you know? We’ve also got joyful, powerful, peaceful, and many more. Remember to download your free PDF and try the quiz with today’s wonderful words.
I want to see you become successful in learning English, and that’s why I make these videos as well as courses you can join!
If you liked this lesson, then I especially recommend my Vocabulary Builder Courses as well as my Advanced Vocabulary Course if you need something higher-level to help you speak English masterfully.
