Scatheful
/ˈskeɪð.fəl/noun
Causing harm or injury; harmful or damaging.
Did you know?Its root goes back to Old English *sceaþa*, meaning “harm” or “injury,” the same ancient damage-word family behind *scathe* itself.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
sceaþa
“harm, injury, damage”
Middle English
ME
scathe
“to harm, injure, damage”
Middle English
ME
scatheful
“harmful, injurious”
Modern English
EN
scatheful
“harmful or damaging”