Middle English Dictionary Entry
dōlful adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | dōlful adj. Also deful(le, deleful(le, delfol, delful, deolfole, deolful(le, deoluol, deoluul, deolvol, deulful, dilful(le, diolful, doelful, doilful(le, doleful(le, dolful, doulful, duleful(le, dulful(le, dwelful; cptv. dolefuller. |
| Etymology | From dōl n.(2). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Full of sorrow, sad, sorrowful, distressed; (b) of face, bearing, cries, etc.: expressing sorrow or anguish; (c) ~ clothes, mourning clothes.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)534 : Ich am..a deolful gost, ich hote wrechche Iudas.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2995 : Amphiorax..Sette in his Char with a doolful herte.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)673 : With dulefulle mode and herte fulle sare, He gafe the lady ane ansuare.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)41/198 : With doolful hert..Grett mornyng I make.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)169/32 : This gregory..was delfull, that on so ryghtfull a prynce was Per[s]hid.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)10644 : A dolefuller loker may none be.
b
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)11997 : Þat his heorte ne mihte beo sori for þane deolfulle cri.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5045 : Þe king..þis deoluol pleinte sed: 'Awey awey we sunuol men, Alas vre wrecchede!'
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.418 : His cloþ he rent, his here to torn..Wel diolful was his fare.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)520 : Hir moder com wiþ diolful chere.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1201 : Sche..hurde hure dulful bere.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)301/134 : Deolful teres gon heo leete.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)277a/b : His hound..abood wiþ þe dede body wiþ doelful and sorweful noyse and ȝollynge.
- a1400 Alle-mighty god in trinitie (Roy 17.B.17)109 : Þere is..deulful song, gnastyng of tethe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3627 : Her eyen..For-dirked wern with doolful teris smerte.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.29 : Lokynge into hevene wiþ a deulful chere.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)726 : A dolefulle worde thane gunne he saye.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)19.81 : With a deolful vois sche gan to Crye.
- c1450(?a1405) Lydg.CBK (Frf 16)184 : For vnto wo acordeth compleynyng, And delful chere vnto heuynesse.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)402/15 : Olde febull men..makynge there a dilfull crye.
- c1460 Iesu þat art heuene (Stnh 43)9 : Ihesu, for þoo doolful teerys That þou weptyst for my gylt.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1586 : The Nonnes aroos to beholde that thyng That made this..dulfull crie.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.483 : They losten lust, they losten chiere..In doelful clothes thei hem clothe.
2.
(a) Arousing or causing sorrow, sadness, or distress; of death, fate: sad, miserable, terrible; of a story: sad; (b) arousing fear, terrifying; (c) inflicting suffering or pain; of a war: destructive; ~ dint, a hard or cruel blow.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)6902 : Ac hit was a deolful [Clg: ladlich] þing, þat he ne moste leng beo king.
- c1300 SLeg.Jas.(LdMisc 108)288 : Also, þe deolfole cas, to heore so much falshede!
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)245 : To deþe he sset his owe fader..he was Out of þe lond idriue vor þe deolvol [vrr. deolful, delful, reufol] cas.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3189 : Alas..þe deoluul [vrr. dulful, doilful] harm!..Alas þat folc of brutaine, þat is nou help les!
- c1330 KTars (Auch)237 : Y nil no lenger dreye Þat cristen folk for me dye: It were a diolful siȝt.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)119 : Proutelich he auauntteþ hem..to dulfulle deþe hem diȝte.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4208 : Þis is a deeful þyng, Þat..myn barouns buþ þus y-slayn.
- c1390 RSicily (Vrn)194 : Allas, her was a deolful þing, Þat him scholde..Such hap..betyde!
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)768 : If we come þer neye, wiþ deleful deþ we sulde deye.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)1085 : When he had done þis deolful [Vsp: dreri] dede, To his fadir hoom he ȝede.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.550 : Many a seint..In delfol deth deyeden for there faith sake.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)400 : To dryȝ her delful deystyne and dyȝen alle samen.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1517 : How l[edes]..Endured for her drury dulful stoundez.
- c1400 I herd an harping (BodDon c.13)19 : Goddis son..þat duleful ded gon die.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1010 : Þe story..whiche doolful is & mortal for to here!
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1840 : A doleful partyng es þat to telle.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)161 : A dolefulle [vr. dylfulle] sweuenynge gane scho mete.
- a1450 Godys sone þat (Dc 126)7 : Godys sone..let hym naylyn vp-on a tre..A dwelful syȝte it was to se.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)236/99 : Lord, who shall do þat doulfull dede?
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2697 : Þe erchebysschop..tolde hym a doolful [Auch: reweful] tale Off schrewede auentures.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)159 : Hit was a doylful dede, whan þey his deþ caste.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2170 : The dulfull dethe of your dere fryndes.
- c1475 Earth(3) (SeldSup 53)7/8 : Þan schal erth fro þe erth [haue] a delful partynge.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)606 : Þys ys a fowle case, And a defulle dede!
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)7/203 : Adam, if thou breke my rede, thou shall dye a dulfull dede.
b
- c1400 PPl.C (Vsp B.16)12.251 : [At domes day, a] Delful time.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)6110 : Ful wa sal synful men be þat day..Þe day of crying and of duleful dyn.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)118/203 : He herd a dolful noyse, As layte or þonder þat hit were.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)519 : Torrent toke a dulful wey Downe in a depe valey.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)833 : So doilfulle dyn drof in the valis, myght no man þer her that grisly voce.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)73/73 : Þe weorre was þo in Enguelonde deolful and strong i-novȝ.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)3341 : Þer he slouȝ..Fiftene kniȝtes..Wel louwe he dede hem liȝt Wiþ diolful dintes sare.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)560 : Þat so worthe as Wawan schulde wende on þat ernde, To dryȝe a delful dynt.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)4028 : Achilles..threwe him doun to the grounde With many delful hidous wounde.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)121 : Thre dukes were dede with doleful dent.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)189/1130-38 : Thus þey faught with dolfull play ffourti dayes..He gynnyth to sle with dilfull dynt.
- a1500 Parton.(1) (Add 35288)4230 : A delefulle stroke..Wyth hys gysharne.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)143 : Many a dulfull dint dealed þei thare.