What does the suffix '-ful' mean?

• A. Having the nature of.
• B. Filled with or marked by.
• C. A word that means the opposite of another word.
• D. A word that means the same thing as another word.

Answer: (B)

The suffix -ful signals fullness or being full of the quality named by the root word. When attached to a noun, it creates an adjective that means “full of” that noun’s quality or “characterized by” it. For example, hopeful means full of hope, careful means full of care, and beautiful means full of beauty. So the meaning “filled with or marked by” best captures what -ful conveys. The idea of having the nature of, or opposite/same meaning relationships, doesn’t align with how -ful functions.