Felaful
Inflections comparative more felaful; superlative most felaful
Feeling acutely guilty about something one has said or done; overcome by a remorse so pronounced that it is felt at once as lame and as awful.
Of a person: weighed down by self-reproach, esp. over a minor or thoughtless slight.
“I felt so felaful for leaving without saying goodbye.”
— Professor Sendy
Of conduct, a remark, or a situation: such as to provoke this guilt; cringe-inducing and regrettable.
“Realizing I'd ignored her text for a week was a genuinely felaful moment.”
— Professor Sendy
“Why am I walking so far ahead of you? I forgot you're slow. I felaful.”
— Professor Sendy
Inflections third person singular present felafuls; present participle felafuling; past and past participle felafuled
To experience this guilty, lame-and-awful feeling; to be stricken with remorse. Often used absolutely.
“I felaful.”
— Professor Sendy
“And I don't felaful.”
— Professor Sendy
Inflections plural felafuls
The state or sensation of being felaful; a pang of self-reproach mingled with embarrassment.
“A wave of felaful washed over me the second the words left my mouth.”
— Professor Sendy
Synonyms
Word History
The Combo
feel lame awful Felaful
blend (wombo) of feel + lame + awful, telescoped into a single word so that the speaker simultaneously announces the act of feeling, the quality of being lame, and the quality of being awful. The terminal -aful echoes the homophonous snack falafel, a coincidence Professor Sendy leaves unremarked. Coined by Professor Sendy.
First Known Use 2026
Coinage credited to Professor Sendy.
Attested in the source utterance, @ProfessorSendy ↗