Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scatheful

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: scathe-ful
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Causing harm or mischief; destructive, injurious.

Archaic

Example Sentences

"A bawbling Veſſell was he Captaine of, For ſhallow draught and bulke vnprizable, With which ſuch ſcathfull grapple did he make, With the moſt noble bottome of our Fleete, That very enuy, and the tongue of loſſe Cride fame and honor on him: What's the matter?"

Etymology

From Middle English *scatheful (attested in derivative unnskaþefull) equivalent to scathe + -ful. Cognate with Scots scathfull, scaithful (“harmful, hurtful, injurious, damaging”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *scatheful
Suffix: scathe

Usage

Archaic

Inflected Forms

more scatheful (comparative) most scatheful (superlative) scathful (alternative) scadeful (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

scathefulness

Synonyms

harmful

Questions

What does scatheful mean?: Causing harm or mischief; destructive, injurious.
Where does scatheful come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce scatheful

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