Pepful
/ˈpɛp.fəl/noun
Full of energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.
Did you know?Pep originally emerged as an early-20th-century shortening of pepper, likely through the idea of pepper’s stimulating or pungent effect; “pepful” is a later formation meaning energetically spirited.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*piper-
“Pepper or a pungent spice; a reconstructed term associated with an ancient spice-trade word”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πέπερι (peperi)
“Pepper, especially the imported spice”
Classical Latin
Latin
piper
“Pepper”
Old English to Middle English
English
pepper
“The hot, pungent spice; borrowed through Germanic and Latin channels”
Early 20th Century
English
pep
“Energy, liveliness, or spirited enthusiasm; a shortened form of pepper”
Modern English
English
pepful
“Full of pep, energy, or enthusiasm”