ruthful

English

WOTD – 4 October 2011

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.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Northern California):

  (file)

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈɹuːθ.fʊl/

Adjective

ruthful (comparative more ruthful, superlative most ruthful)

1. Full of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.

   Synonyms: lamentful, mournful, wistful; see also Thesaurus:sad

2. Causing pity; piteous.

   Synonyms: pathetic, pitisome, rueful; see also Thesaurus:pitiful

   • c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     An if it please thee! why, assure thee, Lucius, / 'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; / For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, / Acts of black night, abominable deeds, / Complots of mischief, treason, villainies, / Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd:

   • 1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Fourth. The Camp.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XVI, page 202:

     When last this ruthful month was come, / And in Linlithgow’s holy dome / The King, as wont, was praying; [...]

3. Full of ruth or pity; merciful; compassionate.

   Synonyms: merciable, pitiful, relentful; see also Thesaurus:merciful

   Antonyms: merciless, ruthless

   • 1898, Richard Francis Burton, transl., The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, volume 7:

     Then he bestowed robes of honour on the nurses wet and dry and said to them, "Be ye ruthful over them and rear them after the goodliest fashion."

Usage notes

• (causing pity): Unlike the other senses, which describe the person acting or the motivation behind an act, this sense is used to describe the effect of an action or circumstance. Thus, it is easily confused with the complementary term ruthless: a ruthless person (one lacking pity) may perform acts or bring about circumstances which are ruthful (cause or induce feelings of pity).

Derived terms

• ruthfully
• ruthfulness

Related terms

• ruth

Translations

full of sorrow; sorrowful

• Spanish: afligido (es), triste (es)

causing pity; piteous

• Finnish: säälittävä (fi)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

full of ruth or pity

• Finnish: säälivä (fi)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

Anagrams

• hurtful