sinful
5 synonyms and 5 antonyms for sinful, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Guilty of, or characterized by, sin; morally wrong.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use sinful
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
sinfully rich
sinful pleasure
a sinful dessert
Etymology
It comes from Middle English synful, senful or sunful, which developed from Old English synful (“sinful, guilty, wicked, corrupt”), equivalent to sin plus -ful. Compare Dutch zondevol (“sinful”), German sündevoll (“sinful”), Danish syndefuld (“sinful”), Swedish syndfull (“sinful”), and Icelandic syndfullur (“sinful”).
Full origin of sinful →Frequently asked questions
What does “sinful” mean?
The word “sinful” means guilty of, or characterized by, sin; morally wrong. In plain terms, wicked or morally wrong — or, informally, deliciously over-indulgent.
How do you pronounce “sinful”?
“Sinful” is pronounced SIHNFL (/ˈsɪnfl̩/ in IPA).
How do you use “sinful” in a sentence?
Here is “sinful” used in a sentence: “The preacher warned against sinful temptations.”
What part of speech is “sinful”?
“Sinful” is an adjective.
Is “sinful” a common word?
“Sinful” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “sinful” have?
“Sinful” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: guilty of, or characterized by, sin; morally wrong.
