full1
/fʊl
/adjective
1Containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space: waste bins full of rubbish she could only nod, for her mouth was full the hotel is full up...
- The supply truck tows a water trailer and carries full water cans for direct exchange.
- The Opera House was far from full and yet the noise throughout the performance was quite amazing.
- She was going to ride the same bus as us, but this one was too full, so she was placed on the second bus.
Synonyms
filled, filled up, filled to capacity, filled to the brim, brimming, brimful, topped up;
overflowing, running over
crowded, packed, crammed, cramped, congested, crushed, solid (with people), full of people, full to capacity, full to bursting, overfull, teeming, swarming, overcrowded, thronged;
North American mobbed
informal jam-packed, wall-to-wall, stuffed, chock-a-block, chock-full, bursting at the seams, bulging at the seams, packed to the gunwales
British informal like Piccadilly Circus
occupied, taken, in use, engaged, unavailable
well stocked, well supplied, filled, loaded, packed, burdened, stuffed, crammed, stacked
1.1Having eaten to one’s limits or satisfaction: she just ate till she was full up...
- How good one feels when one is full - how satisfied with ourselves and with the world!
- A high fibre meal gives the sensation of being quickly full and satisfied.
- Of course, we all had far too much to eat, and ended up flopped on the settee feeling full but satisfied for the rest of the night.
Synonyms
replete, satisfied, well fed, sated, satiated, full up, full to bursting, having had enough;
gorged, glutted, cloyed
informal stuffed
archaic satiate, surfeited
1.2 (full of) Containing or holding much or many; having a large number of: his diary is full of entries about her...
- Turn a corner and we were faced with a whole street full of quite beautiful patisserie shops.
- It was the happiest day of my life and my life has been full of happy moments.
- They are full of exquisite period details, from the accents to the frocks.
1.3 (full of) Having a lot of (a particular quality): she was full of confidence...
- Its a story of the French Revolution, and a period piece full of courtly intrigue and a love story.
- The Glitterati have managed to produce an album full of strength without overpowering you.
- The dancers in Trisha Brown's troupe are superb, full of talent and strength.
1.4 (full of) Unable to stop talking or thinking about: they had their photographs taken and he was full of it...
- She was full of it, spouting out a load of rubbish she probably read in The Sun.
- At the moment he's full of his various building schemes.
1.5 (full of) Filled with intense emotion: his heart was full of hate...
- There is nothing that pleases the Father more, than to see His children full of joy and thankfulness!
- That was many years ago, but to this day she is still full of guilt and shame.
- This is music full of loathing, both for itself and for the audience.
1.6Involving many activities: he lived a full life...
- He believes the treatment will ultimately pay for itself in that it will help patients lead a fuller, more normal life.
- His full schedule leads him around the world, partnering some of the most famous singers of our time.
- Under the expert tutelage of former sailors, the young people had a very full programme indeed.
Synonyms
eventful, interesting, exciting, lively, action-packed, noteworthy;
busy, strenuous, hectic, frantic, energetic, active
1.7Australian /NZ & Scottish informal Drunk: we were all pretty well full when the van rolled into Mittagong
2 [attributive] Not lacking or omitting anything; complete: a full range of sports facilities...
- This is because pears have to be eaten ripe to get anything like the full range of their taste and texture.
- The police claimed to have full details of their names and residences.
- I do not have the full details of the name of the officer who granted the permit to the individual concerned.
Synonyms
comprehensive, thorough, exhaustive, all-inclusive, all-encompassing, all-embracing, in depth;
complete, entire, whole, unabridged, uncut;
extensive, long
abundant, plentiful, ample, copious, profuse, rich, lavish, liberal;
detailed, in detail, specific, precise, exact, accurate, minute, particular;
sufficient, satisfying;
broad-ranging, complete
2.1(Often used for emphasis) reaching the utmost limit; maximum: he reached for the engine control and turned it up to full power John made full use of all the tuition provided...
- The result is that many people do not reach their full potential while studying.
- I know she just wants us to do our best all the time, she wants us to reach our full potential all the time.
- I wish Ian well, and hope the change of school will motivate him to reach his full potential.'
2.2Having all the privileges and status attached to a particular position: the country applied for full membership of the European Community...
- Whether pushing for observer status or full membership, the bid is a difficult one.
- For Marshall, citizenship expresses full membership in the national political community.
- The table tennis centre of excellence at Millthorpe School has been upgraded to full club status by the ETTA.
2.3(Of a report or account) containing as much detail or information as possible: a full report of the conference fuller descriptions of these varieties are available elsewhere...
- They will have to publish the full report, so that will put it all in perspective.
- For a fuller description and statistical analysis of these polls, see the website.
- Implementation of the plans is also dependent on a full archeological survey being carried out on the effected area.
2.4Used to emphasize an amount or quantity: he kept his fast pace going for the full 14-mile distance...
- She came to her full five foot six inches then and glared daggers at him.
- It was low tide and in the far distance, perhaps a full mile away, lay the distant glint of the sea.
- Gerhard drew himself up to his full five feet ten inches and looked up at the annoying man.
2.5(Of a covering material in bookbinding) used for the entire cover: bound in full cloth...
- Each volume is sewn and bound in full cloth and printed in a classic typeface on cream-wove, acid-free paper.
3(Of a person’s figure or part of the body) plump or rounded: she had full lips the fuller figure...
- She was a pretty woman, with a slightly pointed face, a small upturned nose, and full ruby-red lips.
- Her own size seven body was full and firm, but it was nowhere as curvaceous as Nicola's.
- He lifted her by the waist, her curves full and voluptuous as he edged her towards the bed.
Synonyms
well rounded, rounded, round, plump, buxom, shapely, ample, curvaceous, voluptuous, womanly, Junoesque, Rubensesque
informal busty, chesty, curvy, well upholstered, well endowed
North American informal zaftig
3.1(Of the hair) having body: volumizing products coat each strand, making hair appear thick and much fuller...
- His hair was still full and a shade of light gray that stood in sharp contrast with the dark suit he wore.
- For example, if you have full hair worn close to the face try thinner, lighter frames.
- Her raven black hair was full and lustrous, reflecting the unpredictable writhings of the candle flames.
3.2(Of a garment) cut generously with gathers or folds or so as to fit loosely: the dress has a square neck and a full skirt...
- It was a pale blue silk dress with a square cut neckline, fitted sleeves and a very full skirt.
- The length of the short should hit the shapeliest part of your leg and not be too full or too tight.
- That's the mainstream style now: sort of fitted at the waist, and fuller in the leg.
Synonyms
loose-fitting, loose, baggy, easy-fitting, generously cut, roomy, voluminous, capacious, billowing
3.3(Of a sound) strong and resonant: this season’s sopranos produced a full but translucent sound her voice had become fuller...
- With two trombonists, they have a characteristic full sound down low on the music scale.
- With a very full sound and varied music mix the lads are sure to go from strength to strength.
- The dynamics are mixed and it builds well but most of the time it's soft and thin or thick and full sound.
Synonyms
resonant, rich, sonorous, deep, full-bodied, vibrant, fruity, clear, loud, strong
3.4(Of a flavour or colour) rich or intense: any unpasteurized cheese will have a fuller flavour than its treated counterpart...
- Very clean and full with a biscuity flavour and subtle hints of citrus fruits on the nose.
- She explained that to get the full taste of a whiskey you need to add a little water.
- The full palate is rich in white peaches and not overly aggressive on the mousse which leaves a creamy, lengthy finish.
Synonyms
rich, intense, deep, heavy, vivid, strong, vibrant, bold, warm
adverb
1Straight; directly: she turned her head and looked full into his face...
- Ariadne looked back at the Minotaur, with interest, and laughed ‘full in his face’.
- Instead he planted it full in the solar plexus, lifting the man clear of the floor.
- His pillow missed Gary and hit Will full in the face.
Synonyms
directly, right, straight, squarely, square, just, dead, point-blank
informal smack (bang), bang, slap, plumb
2Very: he knew full well she was too polite to barge in...
- The queer present negotiates with the past, knowing full well that the future is at stake.
- She understands full well that even when some men are given every option to embrace the role of Mr. Mom, they may still need a push.
- I'm doing what I can but I know full well I could do more.
Synonyms
very, perfectly, quite, extremely, entirely
informal darn, damn, damned
British informal jolly, bloody
North American informal darned
archaic or Northern English right
2.1 archaic Entirely (used to emphasize an amount or quantity): they talked for full half an hour...
- Live full four-score years on this earth and heading to start another one when the Good Lord say ‘Come on, now, step aside and give somebody else a chance!’
- He weighed full fifteen stone.
noun (the full) archaic
1The period, point, or state of the greatest fullness or strength.So many of those who were killed in the attacks were right in the full of their lives....
- It would be very easy, even in the full of your health, to fall off a bike and that's exactly what happened.
1.1The state or time of full moon.The moon is past the full, and she rises at nine.
1.2 archaic or Irish The whole.He summoned the full of his eloquence in persuasion....
- His mug was waiting by the stove. He poured himself the full of it and stirred in three spoons of sugar.
verb
1 [with object] West Indian Make (something) full; fill up: he full up the house with bawling...
- Next thing, them going get up one morning and go to the seaside and want to full up the basket and empty the sea.
- Once the ports are fulled up, any one trying to log on will get rejected with username and password.
- The 24-27 dates turned out to be Memorial Day weekend & Reno is fulled up that weekend.
2 [with object] Gather or pleat (fabric) so as to make a garment full: a straight piece fulled into a small band at the top...
- Her skirt was white, fulled and gathered and looked as if the entire milky way had fallen upon it.
3 [no object] dialect or US (Of the moon or tide) become full: fulling moon aloft doth ride...
- I have cured many cases of goitre with Iodine, giving a powder every night for four nights, after the moon fulled and was waning.
- This gross darkness held till about one o'clock, although the moon had fulled but the day before.
- The September moon fulls on the 20th at 24 minutes past midnight, and is called the harvest moon.
Phrases
full and by
full colour
full of beans
be full of it
full of oneself
full of years
full on
full out
full steam (or speed) ahead
full to the brim
in full
to the full
Origin
Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vol and German voll.
Rhymes
full2
/fʊl/verb [with object] (often as noun fulling)
Clean, shrink, and felt (cloth) by heat, pressure, and moisture: weaving and fulling were all formerly part of the normal domestic scene...
- The best of them all was surely broadcloth, which in the eighteenth century was a superfine grade of woolen cloth that was fulled, or shrunk, napped, and shorn so that it was the consistency of felt but with a smooth surface.
- Felting and/or fulling require heat, agitation and/or alkalinity.
- According to mill historian Martin Watts, the double mill is likely to have served a dual function, with one mill building used to grind corn and the other used for another purpose such as cloth fulling.
Origin
Middle English: probably a back-formation from fuller1, influenced by Old French fouler 'press hard upon' or medieval Latin fullare, based on Latin fullo 'fuller'.