English Explanatory Dictionary

ruthful

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Full of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.
  2. Causing pity; piteous.
  3. Full of ruth or pity; merciful; compassionate.

Pronunciation

En-us-ncalif-ruthful.ogg /ˈɹuːθ.fʊl/

Word forms

ruthful more ruthful most ruthful

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną Proto-West Germanic *hreuwan Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Germanic *-ō Proto-West Germanic *-u Proto-West Germanic *hreuwu Old English hrēow Middle English rewe Middle English -the Old Norse hrygðinflu. Middle English reuþe Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós Proto-Germanic *fullaz Proto-Germanic *-fullaz Old English -ful Middle English -ful Middle English reuþful English ruthful From Middle English reuþful, reuthful, reowthful, equivalent to ruth + -ful.

Synonyms

lamentful mournful wistful atrabiliary atrabilious blitheless dispirited blue bummed out chapfallen cheerless chopfallen crestfallen cut up damp dejected depressed despondent disgruntled disconsolate disheartened dismal doleful dolesome down down in the dumps down in the mouth downcast downhearted downsome dull elegiac elegious forlorn gloomy glum grief-stricken grieving heavy-hearted heartsore heartsick inconsolable infelicitous jawfallen joyless lachrymose low low-spirited lugubrious lumpish melancholic melancholy miserable moody mopey morose passionate plaintive Plutonian Plutonic

Antonyms

merciless ruthless

Related words

ruth

Derived words

ruthfully ruthfulness
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