Faultful

Faultful is an adjective meaning full of faults or characterized by defects or shortcomings. In contemporary English it is relatively rare and often regarded as stylistic or archaic; more common descriptors for the same idea are faulty, defective, or flawed. The term may appear in literary, humorous, or evaluative writing to emphasize a multitude of faults rather than a single flaw.

The word is formed from the noun fault plus the suffix -ful, meaning “full of.” The noun fault derives from Old French faute, which itself traces back to Latin fallere, meaning to deceive or err. The suffix -ful is of Old English origin and is used to form adjectives indicating abundance or fullness.

Usage notes and nuance: faultful tends to suggest a plurality of defects or pervasive imperfections within a person, object, or system. It is generally avoided in formal technical writing, where terms like faulty or defective are preferred. In literary contexts, faultful can convey moral or character-related shortcomings in a more emphatic or humorous way than looser phrases such as “full of faults.”

See also: faulty, defect, defectiveness, flaw, imperfection, fault-tinding.