ful

See also: fúl, fûl, fül, -ful, and ful-

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Fula or Fula Fulfulde.

Symbol

ful

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Fula.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Fula terms

Catalan

Catalan Wikipedia has an article on:

ful

Wikipedia ^ca

Etymology

Borrowed from Fula 𞤊𞤵𞤤𞤬𞤵𞤤𞤣𞤫.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Adjective

ful (invariable)

1. (relational) of Fula

Noun

ful m (uncountable)

1. Fula

Related terms

• fulbe

Danish

Etymology

From Old Danish fuul, from Old Norse fúll, from Proto-Germanic *fūlaz. Cognate with Swedish ful, English foul, German faul, Dutch vuil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fuːˀl/, [ˈfuˀl]
• Homophone: fugl

Adjective

ful (neuter fult, plural and definite singular attributive fule)

1. (dated) nasty, ugly

   Synonym: styg

Inflection

Inflection of ful

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	ful	mere ful	mest ful2
indefinite neuter singular	fult	mere ful	mest ful2
plural	fule	mere ful	mest ful2
definite attributive1	fule	mere ful	mest fule

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

• “ful” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “ful” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Korlai Creole Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Marathi फूल (phūl).

Noun

ful

1. flower

References

• Clements, J. Clancy (1996), The Genesis of a Language: The Formation and Development of Korlai Portuguese, John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 71

Maltese

Etymology

From Arabic فُول (fūl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fuːl/
• Rhymes: -uːl

Noun

ful m (collective, singulative fula, paucal fuliet)

1. broad bean, broad beans

See also

• fażola
• miżwed

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English full, from Proto-West Germanic *full, from Proto-Germanic *fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós.

Alternative forms

• fol, full, vol, vul

Adverb

ful

1. very; much; to a great extent
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41:

     And I seide, "Ser, in his tyme maister Ioon Wiclef was holden of ful many men the grettis clerk that thei knewen lyuynge vpon erthe. And therwith he was named, as I gesse worthili, a passing reuli man and an innocent in al his lyuynge. […]

     And I said, "Sir, in his time master John Wycliffe was held by very many men the greatest clerk that they knew living upon earth. And with this he was named, as I believe worthily, an excellent ruly and innocent man in all his living. […]

2. full
   • ca. 1384, John Wycliffe, Wycliffe Bible (translation from the Vulgate), Genesis 25:8

     and failynge he was deed in a good elde, and of greet age, and ful of dayes, and he was gaderyd to his puple.

     and failing he was dead in a good old [age], and of great age, and full of days, and he was gathered to his people.

Derived terms

• fulhede
• fulle
• fullen
• fulsom
• fulthe

Related terms

• fille
• fillen
• -ful
• ful-
• fully
• fulnesse

Descendants

• English: full
• Scots: fou, full
• Yola: vull

References

• “ful, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Adjective

ful

1. (chiefly Early Middle English) alternative form of foul (“foul”)

Etymology 3

Noun

ful

1. alternative form of fulle

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse fúll, from Proto-Germanic *fūlaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʉːl/
• Rhymes: -ʉːl
• Homophone: fugl

Adjective

ful (masculine and feminine ful, neuter fult, definite singular and plural fule, comparative fulere, indefinite superlative fulest, definite superlative fuleste)

1. clever, sly

References

• “ful” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “ful” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse fúll, from Proto-Germanic *fūlaz.

Adjective

ful (neuter fult, definite singular and plural fule, comparative fulare, indefinite superlative fulast, definite superlative fulaste)

1. clever, sly

References

• “ful” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *full.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ful/

Adjective

ful

1. alternative form of full

Declension

Declension of ful — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ful	ful	ful
Accusative	fulne	fulle	ful
Genitive	fulles	fulre	fulles
Dative	fullum	fulre	fullum
Instrumental	fulle	fulre	fulle
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fulle	fulla, fulle	ful
Accusative	fulle	fulla, fulle	ful
Genitive	fulra	fulra	fulra
Dative	fullum	fullum	fullum
Instrumental	fullum	fullum	fullum

Declension of ful — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fulla	fulle	fulle
Accusative	fullan	fullan	fulle
Genitive	fullan	fullan	fullan
Dative	fullan	fullan	fullan
Instrumental	fullan	fullan	fullan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fullan	fullan	fullan
Accusative	fullan	fullan	fullan
Genitive	fulra, fullena	fulra, fullena	fulra, fullena
Dative	fullum	fullum	fullum
Instrumental	fullum	fullum	fullum

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *fūl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fuːl/

Adjective

fūl

1. foul (dirty, stinking, vile, corrupt)
   • Exeter Book, riddle 40

     iċ eom wyrslīcre þonne þēs wudu fūla
     oððe þis wāroð þe hēr āworpen liġeð.

     I am viler than this foul wood
     or this seaweed that lies here, cast up

Declension

Declension of fūl — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fūl	fūl	fūl
Accusative	fūlne	fūle	fūl
Genitive	fūles	fūlre	fūles
Dative	fūlum	fūlre	fūlum
Instrumental	fūle	fūlre	fūle
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fūle	fūla, fūle	fūl
Accusative	fūle	fūla, fūle	fūl
Genitive	fūlra	fūlra	fūlra
Dative	fūlum	fūlum	fūlum
Instrumental	fūlum	fūlum	fūlum

Declension of fūl — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fūla	fūle	fūle
Accusative	fūlan	fūlan	fūle
Genitive	fūlan	fūlan	fūlan
Dative	fūlan	fūlan	fūlan
Instrumental	fūlan	fūlan	fūlan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fūlan	fūlan	fūlan
Accusative	fūlan	fūlan	fūlan
Genitive	fūlra, fūlena	fūlra, fūlena	fūlra, fūlena
Dative	fūlum	fūlum	fūlum
Instrumental	fūlum	fūlum	fūlum

Derived terms

• fūlnes

Descendants

• Middle English: foul, ffoul, foull, fowel, fuyle, ful, vul (mainly Early Middle English), ffoule, foule, fowl, fowle, foyll (Late Middle English), voul (Kent, Southwest Midland)
  • English: foul
  • Middle Scots: foull, fowle
    • Scots: foul

Etymology 3

Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *full

Adverb

ful

1. very, well
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Agnes, Virgin"

     ...and ful leof þam casere for his micclan sige þeah þe he nære gefullod .

     ...and very dear to the emperor for his great victory, though he was not baptized.

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *full.

Adjective

ful

1. full

Descendants

• North Frisian:

  Föhr-Amrum: fol

• West Frisian: fol

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɸul/

Verb

·ful

1. third-person singular present subjunctive prototonic of fo·loing

Derived terms

• connach·ḟul

Mutation

Mutation of ·ful

radical	lenition	nasalization
·ful	·ḟul	·ful pronounced with /β̃-/

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Old Saxon

Alternative forms

• full

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *full, from Proto-Germanic *fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós.

Adjective

ful

1. full

Declension

Declension of ful

Strong declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative	ful	ful	ful	fulle	fullu	fulle
accusative	fullana	ful	fulla	fulle	fullu	fulle
genitive	fulles	fulles	fullaro	fullarō	fullarō	fullarō
dative	fullumu	fullumu	fullaro	fullum	fullum	fullum
Weak declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative	fullo	fulla	fulla	fullu
accusative	fullun	fulla	fullun	fullun
genitive	fullun	fullun	fullun	fullonō
dative	fullun	fullun	fullun	fullum

Related terms

• fullian

Descendants

• Low German: vull

Plautdietsch

Adjective

ful

1. foul, rotten, putrid
2. lazy, shiftless, indolent, slothful

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈful/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ul
• Syllabification: ful

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English full. Doublet of pełny and plenum.

Alternative forms

• full

Adjective

ful (not comparable, no derived adverb)

1. (colloquial) full

Noun

ful m inan

1. (poker) full house
2. (colloquial) stout, porter (beer with mid-high hop and alcohol levels)
3. (colloquial) full house (situation in which a place is filled with people to its maximum capacity)

   Synonym: komplet

Declension

Declension of ful

	singular	plural
nominative	ful	fule
genitive	fulu	fuli
dative	fulowi	fulom
accusative	ful	fule
instrumental	fulem	fulami
locative	fulu	fulach
vocative	fulu	fule

Numeral

ful

1. (colloquial) full

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic فُول (fūl).

Noun

ful m inan

1. type of heavily spiced Egyptian fava bean paste (Is there an English equivalent to this definition?)

Declension

Declension of ful

	singular	plural
nominative	ful	fule
genitive	fula/fulu	fuli
dative	fulowi	fulom
accusative	ful	fule
instrumental	fulem	fulami
locative	fulu	fulach
vocative	fulu	fule

Further reading

• ful in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• ful in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from English full.

Noun

ful n (plural fuluri)

1. (poker) full house

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	ful	fulul		fuluri	fulurile
genitive-dative	ful	fulului		fuluri	fulurilor
vocative	fulule			fulurilor

Saterland Frisian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʊl/
• Hyphenation: ful
• Rhymes: -ʊl

Etymology 1

From Old Frisian full, from Proto-West Germanic *full. Cognates include West Frisian fol and German voll.

Adjective

ful (masculine fullen, feminine, plural or definite fulle, comparative fuller, superlative fulst)

1. full

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “full”): loos

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronoun

ful

1. Unstressed form of fúul

References

• Marron C. Fort (2015), “ful”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN
• Marron C. Fort (2015), “fúul”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN

Spanish

Etymology

Of Germanic origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈful/ [ˈful]
• Rhymes: -ul
• Syllabification: ful

Adjective

ful (invariable)

1. (slang) cheap, fake

Derived terms

• fulero

Further reading

• “ful”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “ful”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010

Swedish

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

fulhet

Wikipedia ^sv

Etymology

From Old Norse fúll, from Proto-Germanic *fūlaz. Compare English foul, Dutch vuil, German faul.

Pronunciation

• (Sweden) IPA^(key): /fʉːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʉːl

Adjective

ful (comparative fulare, superlative fulast)

2. ugly; of displeasing appearance

   Antonym: fin

   Det var den fulaste unge jag någonsin sett

   That's the ugliest kid I've ever seen

   en ful melodi

   an ugly melody

   Could also be interpreted as "a dirty melody," using (sense 2).

   • 1994, “Älska mig [Love me]”, in Sanningens morgon [The morning of truth]‎, performed by Köttgrottorna:

     Jag blir äldre och mindre attraktiv. Rent ut sagt fulare. Åren går så fort att jag har svårt att följa med. Jag byter punkfrisyr mot munkfrisyr och ansiktet det skrynklar ihop sig. Men mina egocentriska behov, de kvarstår år efter år.

     I'm getting older and less attractive. Uglier, to put it bluntly. The years go by so fast that I have a hard time keeping up. I exchange punk hairdo for monk hairdo and my face [it – redundant] crumples up. But my egocentric needs, they remain year after year.

4. dirty, bad; something contradictory to norms and rules

   ett fult knep

   a dirty trick

   Larsson gjorde en riktigt ful tackling

   Larsson pulled off a really dirty tackle

   ett fult ord

   a bad word

5. prefix indicating a state of low or lesser quality: an ironic opposite of fin (“fine, elegant”).
   • 2000, Mikael Niemi, Populärmusik från Vittula p. 35; English translation by Laurie Thompson: Popular Music from Vittula (2003), p. 36.

     Hukande tassade han fram till predikstolen, en skygg liten gosse med fulsnaggat hår.

     Shoulders hunched, he tip-toed toward the pulpit, a bashful little boy with an awful haircut.

Usage notes

English foul is a false friend, though cognate. Matches ugly (sense 1) and dirty/bad (sense 2) in meaning and strength.

Declension

Inflection of ful

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	ful	fulare	fulast
neuter singular	fult	fulare	fulast
plural	fula	fulare	fulast
masculine plural2	fule	fulare	fulast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	fule	fulare	fulaste
all	fula	fulare	fulaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Derived terms

• ful fisk
• ful gubbe
• ful som stryk
• ful-
• fuling
• fulsnygg
• fult ord
• fulöl

See also

• fin
• snygg (“good-looking; handsome”)

References

• ful in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• ful in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• ful in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• Ulf, ulf

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English fool.

Noun

ful

1. fool

Turkish

Etymology 1

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish فل (ful, “sweet mock orange”), from Arabic فِلّ (fill, “Arabian jasmine”).

Noun

ful (definite accusative fulü, plural fuller)

1. sweet mock orange, any flowering plant of the species Philadelphus coronarius, native to Caucasus
2. Arabian jasmine, any vine of the species Jasminum sambac, whose fragrance is used for perfume

Declension

Declension of ful

singular plural nominative ful fuller definite accusative fulü fulleri dative fule fullere locative fulde fullerde ablative fulden fullerden genitive fulün fullerin Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular fulüm fullerim 2nd singular fulün fullerin 3rd singular fulü fulleri 1st plural fulümüz fullerimiz 2nd plural fulünüz fulleriniz 3rd plural fulleri fulleri definite accusative singular plural 1st singular fulümü fullerimi 2nd singular fulünü fullerini 3rd singular fulünü fullerini 1st plural fulümüzü fullerimizi 2nd plural fulünüzü fullerinizi 3rd plural fullerini fullerini dative singular plural 1st singular fulüme fullerime 2nd singular fulüne fullerine 3rd singular fulüne fullerine 1st plural fulümüze fullerimize 2nd plural fulünüze fullerinize 3rd plural fullerine fullerine locative singular plural 1st singular fulümde fullerimde 2nd singular fulünde fullerinde 3rd singular fulünde fullerinde 1st plural fulümüzde fullerimizde 2nd plural fulünüzde fullerinizde 3rd plural fullerinde fullerinde ablative singular plural 1st singular fulümden fullerimden 2nd singular fulünden fullerinden 3rd singular fulünden fullerinden 1st plural fulümüzden fullerimizden 2nd plural fulünüzden fullerinizden 3rd plural fullerinden fullerinden genitive singular plural 1st singular fulümün fullerimin 2nd singular fulünün fullerinin 3rd singular fulünün fullerinin 1st plural fulümüzün fullerimizin 2nd plural fulünüzün fullerinizin 3rd plural fullerinin fullerinin

Derived terms

• ağaç fulü

Further reading

• “ful”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “ful”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “ful2”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 2, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1617

Etymology 2

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish فول (ful), from Arabic فُول (fūl, “fava bean”).

Noun

ful (definite accusative fulü, plural fuller)

1. broad bean, any edible bean of the species Vicia faba, widely cultivated as a crop

   Synonym: bakla

Declension

Declension of ful

singular plural nominative ful fuller definite accusative fulü fulleri dative fule fullere locative fulde fullerde ablative fulden fullerden genitive fulün fullerin Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular fulüm fullerim 2nd singular fulün fullerin 3rd singular fulü fulleri 1st plural fulümüz fullerimiz 2nd plural fulünüz fulleriniz 3rd plural fulleri fulleri definite accusative singular plural 1st singular fulümü fullerimi 2nd singular fulünü fullerini 3rd singular fulünü fullerini 1st plural fulümüzü fullerimizi 2nd plural fulünüzü fullerinizi 3rd plural fullerini fullerini dative singular plural 1st singular fulüme fullerime 2nd singular fulüne fullerine 3rd singular fulüne fullerine 1st plural fulümüze fullerimize 2nd plural fulünüze fullerinize 3rd plural fullerine fullerine locative singular plural 1st singular fulümde fullerimde 2nd singular fulünde fullerinde 3rd singular fulünde fullerinde 1st plural fulümüzde fullerimizde 2nd plural fulünüzde fullerinizde 3rd plural fullerinde fullerinde ablative singular plural 1st singular fulümden fullerimden 2nd singular fulünden fullerinden 3rd singular fulünden fullerinden 1st plural fulümüzden fullerimizden 2nd plural fulünüzden fullerinizden 3rd plural fullerinden fullerinden genitive singular plural 1st singular fulümün fullerimin 2nd singular fulünün fullerinin 3rd singular fulünün fullerinin 1st plural fulümüzün fullerimizin 2nd plural fulünüzün fullerinizin 3rd plural fullerinin fullerinin

Derived terms

• ful-i Misri

Further reading

• “ful”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “ful”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “ful1”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 2, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1617
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “ful2”, in Nişanyan Sözlük

Etymology 3

Borrowed from English full.

Noun

ful (definite accusative fulu, plural fullar)

1. (poker) full house, a hand that consists of three of a kind and a pair

Declension

Declension of ful

singular plural nominative ful fullar definite accusative fulu fulları dative fula fullara locative fulda fullarda ablative fuldan fullardan genitive fulun fulların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular fulum fullarım 2nd singular fulun fulların 3rd singular fulu fulları 1st plural fulumuz fullarımız 2nd plural fulunuz fullarınız 3rd plural fulları fulları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular fulumu fullarımı 2nd singular fulunu fullarını 3rd singular fulunu fullarını 1st plural fulumuzu fullarımızı 2nd plural fulunuzu fullarınızı 3rd plural fullarını fullarını dative singular plural 1st singular fuluma fullarıma 2nd singular fuluna fullarına 3rd singular fuluna fullarına 1st plural fulumuza fullarımıza 2nd plural fulunuza fullarınıza 3rd plural fullarına fullarına locative singular plural 1st singular fulumda fullarımda 2nd singular fulunda fullarında 3rd singular fulunda fullarında 1st plural fulumuzda fullarımızda 2nd plural fulunuzda fullarınızda 3rd plural fullarında fullarında ablative singular plural 1st singular fulumdan fullarımdan 2nd singular fulundan fullarından 3rd singular fulundan fullarından 1st plural fulumuzdan fullarımızdan 2nd plural fulunuzdan fullarınızdan 3rd plural fullarından fullarından genitive singular plural 1st singular fulumun fullarımın 2nd singular fulunun fullarının 3rd singular fulunun fullarının 1st plural fulumuzun fullarımızın 2nd plural fulunuzun fullarınızın 3rd plural fullarının fullarının

Further reading

• “ful”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “ful”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “ful3”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 2, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1617

Volapük

Noun

ful (nominative plural fuls)

1. fullness

Declension

Declension of ful

	singular	plural
nominative	ful	fuls
genitive	fula	fulas
dative	fule	fules
accusative	fuli	fulis
vocative 1	o ful!	o fuls!
predicative 2	fulu	fulus

¹ status as a case is disputed
² in later, non-classical Volapük only