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full
/fʊl/
containing all expected items
The glass is full.
The glass contains the maximum amount of liquid it can hold.
general
Containing or holding as much as possible; complete.
The tank is full of water.
The tank contains the maximum amount of water it can hold.
She ate a full meal.
She ate a complete meal with all courses.
Used to describe capacity, completeness, or entirety.
verb
To make something as full as possible.
He filled the bucket until it was full.
He added water to the bucket until it reached its maximum capacity.
Often used with 'up' (e.g., 'fill up the tank').
noun
A complete amount or extent.
The full of the moon shone brightly.
The moon was completely illuminated.
Less common; often used in poetic or literary contexts.
adverb
Directly in front of or facing someone or something.
He stood full in the doorway.
He stood directly in the entrance.
Rarely used in modern English.
Collocations
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoid redundancy
Do not use 'completely full' or 'totally full'—'full' alone is sufficient to convey completeness.
Gold Rule
Adjective vs. Verb
Use 'full' as an adjective to describe a state (e.g., 'a full tank') and 'fill' as a verb to describe the action (e.g., 'fill the tank').
Word Origin
Old English 'full' (adjective), from Proto-Germanic '*fullaz', related to Old Norse 'fullr', Old High German 'ful', and Latin 'plenus'. The verb sense derives from the noun/adjective.
Usage Notes
As an adjective, 'full' is often used before a noun (e.g., 'full glass'). The verb 'fill' is commonly used to describe the action of making something full. Avoid redundancy like 'completely full'—'full' already implies completeness.
Word Breakdown
full
complete or containing all expected items
rootEnglish Dictionary