fill

1 of 2

verb

ˈfil 

filled; filling; fills

transitive verb

1

a

: to put into as much as can be held or conveniently contained

fill a cup with water

b

: to supply with a full complement

the class is filled

c(1)

: to cause to swell or billow

wind filled the sails

(2)

: to trim (a sail) to catch the wind

d

: to raise the level of with fill

filled land

e

: to repair the cavities of (teeth)

f

: to stop up : obstruct

wreckage filled the channel

g

: to stop up the interstices, crevices, or pores of (a material, such as cloth, wood, or leather) with a foreign substance

2

a

: feed, satiate

fill livestock

b

: satisfy, fulfill

fills all requirements

c

: make out, complete

—used with out or in

fill out a form

fill in the blanks

d

: to draw the playing cards necessary to complete

fill a straight or flush in poker

3

a

: to occupy the whole of

smoke filled the room

b

: to spread through

music filled the air

c

: to make full

a mind filled with fantasies

4

a

: to possess and perform the duties of : hold

fill an office

b

: to place a person in

fill a vacancy

5

: to supply as directed

fill a prescription

6

: to cover the surface of with a layer of precious metal

a gold-filled bracelet

intransitive verb

: to become full

the rivers filled

fill

2 of 2

noun

1

: a full supply

especially : a quantity that satisfies or satiates

eat your fill

2

: something that fills: such as

a

: material used to fill a receptacle, cavity, passage, or low place

b

: a bit of instrumental music that fills the pauses between phrases (as of a vocalist or soloist)

c

: artificial light used in photography to reduce or eliminate shadows

—often used attributively

fill flash

Phrases

fill one's shoes

: to take over one's job, position, or responsibilities

No one will be able to fill his shoes after he retires.

Synonyms

Verb

• brim
• charge
• cram
• heap
• jam
• jam-pack
• load
• pack
• stuff

Noun

• filler
• filling
• padding
• stuffing
• wadding

Examples of fill in a Sentence

Verb

May I fill your glass for you?

She filled her house with antiques.

His massive body filled the doorway.

He has enough books to fill a library.

Two hundred people filled the room.

fill a sheet of paper with writing

a vase filled with flowers

stadiums filled with cheering fans

The rivers have filled and are close to flooding.

The stadium filled more than an hour before the game.

Noun

They delivered a truckload of fill for the trench.

we ripped the tag off years ago, so we have no idea what the fill in that pillow is

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The awesome power of their example fills me with optimism. —Jennifer Lotito, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

The type of sky that fills one with awe at the beauty and mystery of existence. —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024

Noun

The issues with the retaining wall, also known as a toe wall, is the result of steel pilings being bent during installation, and the problem with the transportation corridor was caused by the incorrect type of soil being used as fill. —Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 20 Dec. 2024

The area features 12 separate spots to get your fill, and every local’s got their own ideas about which is best. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English fillen, fullen, fellen, going back to Old English fyllan, going back to Germanic *fulljan- (whence also Old Frisian fella "to fill," Old Saxon fullian, Old High German fullen, Old Icelandic fylla, Gothic fulljan), weak verb derivative from the stem of *fulla- full entry 1

Noun

(sense 1) Middle English fille, fulle, felle, going back to Old English fyllu, fyll, going back to Germanic *full-īn- (whence also Middle Dutch volle "full supply, fill," Old High German fullī, follī, Old Icelandic fylli, Gothic ufarfullei "superfluity"), from *fulla- full entry 1 + *-īn-, noun suffix of quality; (sense 2) derivative of fill entry 1

Note: As with other nouns originally formed with the suffix *-īn-, Old English has reclassed the nouns as regular *-ō feminine nouns by association with the suffix *-iþō.

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fill

• back and fill
• fill a niche
• fill away
• fill in
• fill in the blanks
• fill out
• fill someone's shoes
• fill the bill
• fill the gaps
• fill to capacity
• fill-up
• tall order to fill

Kids Definition

fill

1 of 2 verb

ˈfil 

1

: to put into as much as can be held or contained

fill one's plate

2

: to become full

puddles filling with rain

3

: satisfy sense 1a

fill all requirements

4

: to occupy fully : take up whatever space there is

clothes filled the closet

5

: to spread through

laughter filled the room

6

: to stop up (as holes) : plug

fill a crack with putty

fill a tooth

7

a

: to perform the duties of : occupy

fill the office of president

b

: to put a person in

filled several vacancies

8

: to supply according to directions

fill a prescription

fill

2 of 2 noun

1

: a full supply

especially : a quantity that satisfies

eat one's fill

2

: material used to fill a container, cavity, passage, or low place

Medical Definition

fill

transitive verb

ˈfil 

1

: to repair the cavities of (teeth)

2

: to supply as directed

fill a prescription