Standard Lemma guide

cupful

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkʌp̪fl̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The amount necessary to fill a cup.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Add a cupful of milk to the sauce.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A half pint, i.e. eight ounces

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the quantity a cup will hold

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he drank a cup of coffee
  • he borrowed a cup of sugar

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cup

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: containerful

History

Etymology

From Middle English copful, copfull, cupfulle, cuppefulle, equivalent to cup + -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kopful (“cupful”), West Frisian kopfol (“cupful”).

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: գավաթ (gavatʻ) — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Asturian: cacíu — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Basque: kikarakada — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Bulgarian: ча́ша (čáša) — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Finnish: kupillinen — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • French: tasse — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Hungarian: csészényi — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Irish: lán cupáin — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Macedonian: ча́ша (čáša) — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Macedonian: шо́лја (šólja) — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Norman: coupaïe — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Norman: tâssée — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Portuguese: xícara — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Russian: ча́шка (čáška) — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Serbo-Croatian: ча̏ша — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Serbo-Croatian: čȁša — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Welsh: cwpanaid — the amount necessary to fill a cup
  • Welsh: dysglaid — the amount necessary to fill a cup