a. Obs. or dial. Forms: see TEEN sb.1 [OE. téonful, ME. teneful, f. TEEN sb.1 + -FUL.] Full of teen: see TEEN sb.1
1. Causing trouble or sorrow; vexatious, troublesome, painful, grievous, distressing.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Spelman), lxxvii. 10. Mægþ teonful, generatio exasperans.
a. 1023. Wulfstan, Hom., I. (1883), 273. Hu læne and hu lyðre þis lif is, hu sarlic and hu sorhful and hu ʓeswincful and hu teonful.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter lxxviii. 8. Þat þai ne be als þar fadres fals, Getynge wik and tene-fulle als.
134070. Alisaunder, 282. Hee made a uery uow auenged too beene Of þat teenefull tach þat hee tooke þere.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 2666. Ȝe grettli aren a-greued For þise tenful trauayles.
c. 1425. Cast. Persev., 1755, in Macro Plays, 129. Teneful talys I may þee sey.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Teenful, troublesome; vexatious.
b. Harmful, injurious.
(In first quot. perh. Lamentable, deplorable: cf. 1.)
134070. Alex. & Dind., 566. Many men vp-on molde made hue by slithe To haunte hure in hordom Of hure tenful tach ȝe taken ensample.
a. 140050. Alexander, 3907. Wild berys With ilka tenefull tothe as tyndis of harowis.
2. Angry, wrathful; malicious, spiteful.
c. 1205. Lay., 4585. Þer þreo & fifti scipen In þa teonfulle sæ torneden sæiles.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12252. Þen Thelamon was tenfull, & turnyt into yre.
1570. Sat. P. Ref., xiii. 89. O Teinfull tratouris! Ibid. (1572), xxxii. 97. O tenefull Tyrane!
b. Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, grieved, sad.
13878. T. Usk, Test. Love, II. v. (Skeat), I. 49. O bad and straite been thilke, that at their departyng, maketh men teneful and sorie.
14[?]. Siege Jerus., 213. Ac without tribute or trewes tenfulle wyes, Þe knyȝtes with þe kerchef comen ful blyue.
Hence † Teenfully adv. Obs., sorrowfully, sadly, lamentably, grievously; harmfully, injuriously; angrily, wrathfully.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 160. Greuing, and gretyng, and gryspyng harde Of teþe tenfully to geder.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 272. He askyde me tyrauntly tribute of Rome, That tenefully tynt was in tyme of myne elders.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12233. Than Thelamon tenfully spake all in grym yre.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xvi. 56. Free men ar his thrall full teynfully torne.