Sinful Meaning
/ˈsɪnfl̩/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjHaving sinned; guilty of sin.
adjConstituting a sin; morally or religiously wrong; wicked; evil.
Sentence Examples
Christians view human nature as inherently sinful.
I am a sinful man.
I have never met a more sinful man.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The priest warned that stealing is a ____ act that goes against God's will.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Giving in to such a ____ desire would surely lead to a lifetime of regret.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English synful, senful, sunful, from Old English synful (“sinful, guilty, wicked, corrupt”), equivalent to sin + -ful. Compare Dutch zondevol (“sinful”), German sündevoll (“sinful”), Danish syndefuld (“sinful”), Swedish syndfull (“sinful”), Icelandic syndfullur (“sinful”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I take a whiff of the most sincerely sinful cookies in the history of the world. It’s a recipe I saw in People magazine once at the dentist's office, and Dr. Segal would not approve of its ingredients (or maybe she would, in the interest of keeping her business afloat)."
— 2018 April 10, Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, Sam & Ilsa's Last Hurrah, New York City: Random House, →ISBN:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The priest warned that stealing is a ____ act that goes against God's will.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Giving in to such a ____ desire would surely lead to a lifetime of regret.