different between listful vs wistful

English

Etymology 1

list +? -ful

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?stf?l/

Adjective

listful (comparative more listful, superlative most listful)

1. Attentive, listening.
2. Using or based on lists.
3. (rare) Tending to list or lean.

Related terms

• listen

Etymology 2

list +? -ful

Noun

listful (plural listfuls or listsful)

1. As many as fill a list.

English

Etymology

Presumably from *whistful, from whist (“silent”) + -ful, based on older wistly. It is implausible that it derives from wishful, the required sound change being wishful ? *wisful ? wistful, which could not occur in Modern English, particularly not with wishful continuing in use. However, the sense of “longing” appears to be influenced by wishful, with wistful being an ambiguous poetic word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?stf?l/

Adjective

wistful (comparative more wistful, superlative most wistful)

1. Full of longing or yearning.
2. Sad and thoughtful.

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “wistful”, in Online Etymology Dictionary