ˈwrothful, a. Obs. or arch.
[var. of wrathful a., after wroth n. or a.
An app. early example in R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 37 is prob. an error for wrathful or wrethful.]
1. Of persons: Full of wrath; angry; = wrathful a. 1.
| c 1500 Communycacyon (W. de W.) C j, Alas why haue I wrothfull ben? 1535 Coverdale Nahum i. 2 A taker of vengeaunce is y⊇ Lorde, and wrothfull. 1546 Gasser's Prognost. d ij b, The warrier & wrothful Mars, Lord of this yere. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xi. 34 The knight yet wrothfull for his late disgrace,..him..sore smote. 1810 Scott Lady of L. v. vi, Wrothful at such arraignment foul, Dark lower'd the clansman's sable scowl. |
b. Prone to wrath.
| 1535 Coverdale 2 Sam. vii. 8 His men..are stronge and of a wrothfull stomack. |
2. Proceeding or arising from wrath; characterized by or expressive of anger.
| 1535 Coverdale Ps. lxviii. 24 Let thy wrothfull displeasure take holde of them. 1562 Legh Armory 165 b, His irefull hart straight braided out wrothful wordes of wreke and reuenge. |
Hence
ˈwrothfully adv.,
ˈwrothfulness.
| a 1500 Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510) P ij, He styreth and quakyth *wrothfully. 1535 Coverdale Ps. cxxiii. 3 When they were so wrothfully displeased at vs. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. vii. 16 But..(quoth he halfe wrothfully) Where is the bootie? 1855 Thorpe tr. Beowulf 6116 Then was the quarrel wrothfully avenged. |
| 1535 Coverdale Ecclus. x. 22 Pryde was not made for man, nether *wrothfulness for mens children. |