- ful & - less

10 ENGLISH WORDS ENDING IN -FUL

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 

10 ENGLISH WORDS ENDING IN -LESS

In English, the suffix -less means “without.” For example, something that is “colorless” is white or transparent; it has no color. Here are 10 English words that end in -less, with example sentences so you can see how they’re used:

1. careless = without care

My sister is very careless with her possessions. For example, she left her laptop on the sofa and later someone sat on it.

Opposite: careful

2. doubtless = without a doubt

The prices will doubtless go down around Christmastime – there are always holiday discounts.

Opposite: doubtful

3. endless = without end (or very long)

I hate going to my aunt’s house, because then I have to listen to her endless stories about her dogs.

Note: We often use “endless” to exaggerate how long something is, as in the example above. It doesn’t necessarily mean there is NO end.

4. fearless = brave, without fear

John loves radical sports like rock climbing and skydiving. He’s absolutely fearless.

Opposite: fearful

5. helpless = unable to help oneself

Little babies are so helpless. Their mothers needs to do everything for them.

Note: The opposite is NOT helpful – “helpful” means you can help others. The opposite of “helpless” is something like “self-sufficient” – someone who can take care of themselves.

6. homeless = someone who has no place to live

In the city center, there are a lot of homeless people who sleep on the streets.

7. hopeless = without hope, without possibility of success

The doctors say it’s hopeless - his cancer can’t be cured.

Note: We usually describe a SITUATION as “hopeless.” For your own feelings, you should say “I have no hope,” not “I’m hopeless.” For the opposite, however, you can say “I’m hopeful” if you DO have hope!

8. restless = agitated, not relaxed

I’ve been sitting at a computer for the past 6 hours and I’m feeling restless – let’s go for a walk!

Note: Restless is NOT the same as tired. Instead, it describes a situation where you don’t want to stay still – you want to move, or change something. You can be restless due to emotions, worries, or simply after a long period of inactivity, as in the example.

 9. tasteless = without taste or flavor

The food at that restaurant is cheap, but it’s pretty tasteless.

Opposite = flavorful, tasty

Note: The opposite is NOT “tasteful.” This word instead refers to decorations or words that are good and appropriate for the situation. But the opposite of “tasteful” is also…

9. tasteless = not appropriate

It would have been a good movie for kids, except it had a completely tasteless sex scene in the middle.

Things that are “tasteless” may be vulgar, or visually ugly, or simply not appropriate for the situation.

10. useless = describes something that cannot be used

This brochure is useless - all the information is out-of-date. We’ll have to call to get the current information.

Opposite = useful