Fill vs. Full — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on April 8, 2024
Fill refers to the act of making something complete by adding or replenishing content, whereas full describes a state of being at maximum capacity or completely occupied.
Difference Between Fill and Full
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Fill is an action verb that implies the process of adding to something until it reaches its capacity or desired level. It focuses on the action of increasing the volume or quantity within a container or space. On the other hand, full is an adjective that describes the state of something that cannot accept more content because it is already at its maximum capacity or completely occupied.
When you fill a glass with water, the act continues until the glass is full, indicating the transition from an incomplete to a complete state. Whereas, a full glass requires no additional action it already holds as much as it can. This distinction highlights the dynamic nature of filling versus the static condition of being full.
The concept of fill can apply to abstract ideas as well, such as filling one's time with activities or filling a role in a company. In these contexts, it suggests the addition of elements to fulfill a requirement or capacity. In contrast, describing something as full in these abstract terms (e.g., a full schedule or a full team) indicates that no further additions are possible or necessary.
Fill often implies an ongoing process that can be stopped at any point before reaching maximum capacity, depending on the desired outcome. For example, you might fill a tank with gas until it's only half full if that's all you need. Full, however, signifies a complete or finished state, such as a tank that can hold no more gas.
The verbs associated with fill (e.g., filling, filled) focus on the action and its progression, which can be temporary or adjustable. Meanwhile, full and its variations (e.g., fully, fullness) emphasize a specific condition or quality, often implying a sense of completion or saturation that is more permanent until altered by another action.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Verb (action-oriented)
Adjective (state-oriented)
Focus
Process of adding or replenishing
State of being at maximum capacity
Context
Can be applied to both tangible and abstract concepts
Primarily describes tangible containers or abstract concepts in a state of completion
Outcome
Variable, can be stopped at any point
Fixed, denotes completion or maximum capacity
Usage in a Sentence
"I need to fill the bottle with water."
"The bottle is full of water."
Compare with Definitions
Fill
To make full; to top up.
She fills the glass with milk until it's nearly overflowing.
Full
Complete, entire.
We have a full day of meetings ahead.
Fill
To occupy space or time.
He fills his weekends with volunteer work.
Full
Containing all that can be held; filled to capacity.
The jar is full of cookies.
Fill
To satisfy a need or requirement.
The new software fills a gap in the market.
Full
Totally occupied or busy.
He's full up with appointments through next month.
Fill
To take up a position.
She was chosen to fill the vacant seat on the board.
Full
Abundant, plentiful.
The garden is in full bloom.
Fill
To add contents to something.
Fill the pool with water for the summer.
Full
Satisfied, unable to eat more.
After the feast, everyone was feeling full.
Fill
To put something into (a container, for example) to capacity or to a desired level
Fill a glass with milk.
Filled the tub with water.
Full
Containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space
Waste bins full of rubbish
The hotel is full up
She could only nod, for her mouth was full
Fill
To supply or provide to the fullest extent
Filled the mall with new stores.
Full
Not lacking or omitting anything; complete
A full range of sports facilities
Fill
To build up the level of (low-lying land) with material such as earth or gravel.
Full
(of a person's figure or part of the body) plump or rounded
The fuller figure
She had full lips
Fill
To stop or plug up (an opening, for example).
Full
Straight; directly
She turned her head and looked full into his face
Fill
To repair a cavity of (a tooth).
Full
Very
He knew full well she was too polite to barge in
Fill
To add a foreign substance to (cloth or wood, for example).
Full
The period, point, or state of the greatest fullness or strength.
Fill
To flow or move into (a container or area), often to capacity
Water is filling the basement. Fans are filling the stadium.
Full
Make (something) full; fill up
He full up the house with bawling
Fill
To pervade
Music filled the room.
Full
Gather or pleat (fabric) so as to make a garment full
A straight piece fulled into a small band at the top
Fill
To satiate, as with food and drink
The guests filled themselves with pie.
Full
(of the moon or tide) become full
Fulling moon aloft doth ride
Fill
To engage or occupy completely
A song that filled me with nostalgia.
Full
Clean, shrink, and felt (cloth) by heat, pressure, and moisture
Weaving and fulling were all formerly part of the normal domestic scene
Fill
To satisfy or meet; fulfill
Fill the requirements.
Full
Containing all that is normal or possible
A full pail.
Fill
To supply what is specified by or required for
Fill a prescription.
Fill an order.
Full
Complete in every particular
A full account.
Fill
To put a person into (a job or position)
We filled the job with a new hire.
Full
Amounting to three balls and two strikes. Used of a count.
Fill
To discharge the duties of; occupy
How long has she filled that post?.
Full
Having a base runner at first, second, and third base
The bases were full when the slugger stepped up to bat.
Fill
To cover the surface of (an inexpensive metal) with a layer of precious metal, such as gold.
Full
Of maximum or highest degree
At full speed.
Fill
To cause (a sail) to swell.
Full
Being at the peak of development or maturity
In full bloom.
Fill
To adjust (a yard) so that wind will cause a sail to swell.
Full
Of or relating to a full moon.
Fill
To become full
The basement is filling with water.
Full
Having a great deal or many
A book full of errors.
Fill
An amount needed to make full, complete, or satisfied
Eat one's fill.
Full
Totally qualified, accepted, or empowered
A full member of the club.
Fill
Material for filling a container, cavity, or passage.
Full
Rounded in shape; plump
A full figure.
Fill
A built-up piece of land; an embankment.
Full
Having or made with a generous amount of fabric
Full draperies.
Fill
The material, such as earth or gravel, used for this.
Full
Having an appetite completely satisfied, especially for food or drink
Was full after the Thanksgiving dinner.
Fill
(transitive) To occupy fully, to take up all of.
Full
Providing an abundance, especially of food.
Fill
(transitive) To add contents to (a container, cavity, or the like) so that it is full.
Full
Having depth and body; rich
A full aroma.
Full tones.
Fill
To enter (something), making it full.
Full
Completely absorbed or preoccupied
“He was already pretty full of himself” (Ron Rosenbaum).
Fill
(intransitive) To become full.
The bucket filled with rain;
The sails fill with wind
Full
Possessing both parents in common
Full brothers.
Full sisters.
Fill
(intransitive) To become pervaded with something.
My heart filled with joy.
Full
Of or relating to a full-size bed
Full sheets.
A full bed skirt.
Fill
(transitive) To satisfy or obey (an order, request, or requirement).
The pharmacist filled my prescription for penicillin.
We can't let the library close! It fills a great need in the community.
Full
Exactly; directly
Full in the path of the moon.
Fill
(transitive) To install someone, or be installed, in (a position or office), eliminating a vacancy.
Sorry, no more applicants. The position has been filled.
Full
To a complete extent; entirely. Sometimes used in combination
Knew full well.
Full blown.
Full-fledged.
Fill
(transitive) To treat (a tooth) by adding a dental filling to it.
Dr. Smith filled Jim's cavity with silver amalgam.
Full
To make (a garment) full, as by pleating or gathering.
Fill
(transitive) To fill or supply fully with food; to feed; to satisfy.
Full
To become full. Used of the moon.
Fill
To trim (a yard) so that the wind blows on the after side of the sails.
Full
To increase the density and usually the thickness of (cloth) by shrinking and beating or pressing.
Fill
(after a possessive) A sufficient or more than sufficient amount.
Don't feed him any more: he's had his fill.
Full
The maximum or complete size or amount
Repaid in full.
Fill
An amount that fills a container.
The mixer returned to the plant for another fill.
Full
The highest degree or state
Living life to the full.
Fill
The filling of a container or area.
That machine can do 20 fills a minute.
This paint program supports lines, circles, and textured fills.
Full
A full-size bed.
Fill
Inexpensive material used to occupy empty spaces, especially in construction.
The ruins of earlier buildings were used as fill for more recent construction.
Full
Containing the maximum possible amount that can fit in the space available.
The jugs were full to the point of overflowing.
Fill
(archaeology) Soil and/or human-created debris discovered within a cavity or cut in the layers and exposed by excavation; fill soil.
Full
Complete; with nothing omitted.
Our book gives full treatment to the subject of angling.
Fill
An embankment, as in railroad construction, to fill a hollow or ravine; also, the place which is to be filled.
Full
Total, entire.
She had tattoos the full length of her arms.
He was prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Fill
(music) A short passage, riff, or rhythmic sound that helps to keep the listener's attention during a break between the phrases of a melody.
Bass fill
Full
Completely empowered, authorized or qualified (in some role); not limited.
Full member
Full officer
Fill
One of the thills or shafts of a carriage.
Full
(informal) Having eaten to satisfaction, having a "full" stomach; replete.
"I'm full," he said, pushing back from the table.
Fill
One of the thills or shafts of a carriage.
Full
Replete, abounding with.
This movie doesn't make sense; it's full of plot holes.
I prefer my pizzas full of toppings.
Fill
A full supply, as much as supplies want; as much as gives complete satisfaction.
I'll bear thee hence, where I may weep my fill.
Full
(of physical features) Plump, round.
Full lips; a full face; a full figure
Fill
That which fills; filling; filler; specif., an embankment, as in railroad construction, to fill a hollow or ravine; also, the place which is to be filled.
Full
(of the moon) Having its entire face illuminated.
Fill
To make full; to supply with as much as can be held or contained; to put or pour into, till no more can be received; to occupy the whole capacity of.
The rain also filleth the pools.
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. Anf they filled them up to the brim.
Full
(of garments) Of a size that is ample, wide, or having ample folds or pleats to be comfortable.
A full pleated skirt;
She needed her full clothing during her pregnancy.
Fill
To furnish an abudant supply to; to furnish with as mush as is desired or desirable; to occupy the whole of; to swarm in or overrun.
And God blessed them, saying. Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas.
The Syrians filled the country.
Full
Having depth and body; rich.
A full singing voice
Fill
To fill or supply fully with food; to feed; to satisfy.
Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fillso great a multitude?
Things that are sweet and fat are more filling.
Full
(obsolete) Having the mind filled with ideas; stocked with knowledge; stored with information.
Fill
To possess and perform the duties of; to officiate in, as an incumbent; to occupy; to hold; as, a king fills a throne; the president fills the office of chief magistrate; the speaker of the House fills the chair.
Full
Having the attention, thoughts, etc., absorbed in any matter, and the feelings more or less excited by it.
She's full of her latest project.
Fill
To supply with an incumbent; as, to fill an office or a vacancy.
Full
Filled with emotions.
Fill
To press and dilate, as a sail; as, the wind filled the sails.
Full
(obsolete) Impregnated; made pregnant.
Fill
To make an embankment in, or raise the level of (a low place), with earth or gravel.
Full
Said of the three cards of the same rank in a full house.
Fill
To become full; to have the whole capacity occupied; to have an abundant supply; to be satiated; as, corn fills well in a warm season; the sail fills with the wind.
Full
Drunk, intoxicated.
Fill
To fill a cup or glass for drinking.
Give me some wine; fill full.
Full
(archaic) Fully; quite; very; thoroughly; completely; exactly; entirely.
Fill
A quantity sufficient to satisfy;
He ate his fill of potatoes
She had heard her fill of gossip
Full
Utmost measure or extent; highest state or degree; the state, position, or moment of fullness; fill.
I was fed to the full.
Fill
Any material that fills a space or container;
There was not enough fill for the trench
Full
(of the moon) The phase of the moon when its entire face is illuminated, full moon.
Fill
Make full, also in a metaphorical sense;
Fill a container
Fill the child with pride
Full
(freestyle skiing) An aerialist maneuver consisting of a backflip in conjunction and simultaneous with a complete twist.
Fill
Become full;
The pool slowly filled with water
The theater filled up slowly
Full
(of the moon) To become full or wholly illuminated.
Fill
Occupy the whole of;
The liquid fills the container
Full
(transitive) To baptise.
Fill
Assume, as of positions or roles;
She took the job as director of development
Full
To make cloth denser and firmer by soaking, beating and pressing; to waulk or walk.
Fill
Fill or meet a want or need
Full
Filled up, having within its limits all that it can contain; supplied; not empty or vacant; - said primarily of hollow vessels, and hence of anything else; as, a cup full of water; a house full of people.
Had the throne been full, their meeting would not have been regular.
Fill
Appoint someone to (a position or a job)
Full
Abundantly furnished or provided; sufficient in quantity, quality, or degree; copious; plenteous; ample; adequate; as, a full meal; a full supply; a full voice; a full compensation; a house full of furniture.
Fill
Eat until one is sated;
He filled up on turkey
Full
Not wanting in any essential quality; complete; entire; perfect; adequate; as, a full narrative; a person of full age; a full stop; a full face; the full moon.
It came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaohdreamed.
The man commandsLike a full soldier.
I can notRequest a fuller satisfactionThan you have freely granted.
Fill
Fill to satisfaction;
I am sated
Full
Sated; surfeited.
I am full of the burnt offerings of rams.
Fill
Plug with a substance;
Fill a cavity
Full
Having the mind filled with ideas; stocked with knowledge; stored with information.
Reading maketh a full man.
Full
Having the attention, thoughts, etc., absorbed in any matter, and the feelings more or less excited by it, as, to be full of some project.
Every one is full of the miracles done by cold baths on decayed and weak constitutions.
Full
Filled with emotions.
The heart is so full that a drop overfills it.
Full
Impregnated; made pregnant.
Ilia, the fair, . . . full of Mars.
Full
Complete measure; utmost extent; the highest state or degree.
The swan's-down feather,That stands upon the swell at full of tide.
Full
Quite; to the same degree; without abatement or diminution; with the whole force or effect; thoroughly; completely; exactly; entirely.
The pawn I proffer shall be full as good.
The diapason closing full in man.
Full in the center of the sacred wood.
Full
To become full or wholly illuminated; as, the moon fulls at midnight.
Full
To thicken by moistening, heating, and pressing, as cloth; to mill; to make compact; to scour, cleanse, and thicken in a mill.
Full
To become fulled or thickened; as, this material fulls well.
Full
Beat for the purpose of cleaning and thickening;
Full the cloth
Full
Make (a garment) fuller by pleating or gathering
Full
Increase in phase;
The moon is waxing
Full
Containing as much or as many as is possible or normal;
A full glass
A sky full of stars
A full life
The auditorium was full to overflowing
Full
Constituting the full quantity or extent; complete;
An entire town devastated by an earthquake
Gave full attention
A total failure
Full
Complete in extent or degree and in every particular;
A full game
A total eclipse
A total disaster
Full
Filled to satisfaction with food or drink;
A full stomach
Full
(of sound) having marked depth and body;
Full tones
A full voice
Full
Having the normally expected amount;
Gives full measure
Gives good measure
A good mile from here
Full
Being at a peak or culminating point;
Broad day
Full summer
High noon
Full
Not separated into parts or shares; constituting an undivided unit;
An undivided interest in the property
A full share
Full
Having ample fabric;
The current taste for wide trousers
A full skirt
Full
To the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (`full' in this sense is used as a combining form);
Fully grown
He didn't fully understand
Knew full well
Full-grown
Full-fledged
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to fill something?
To fill something means to add to it or replenish its contents until it reaches a desired level or capacity.
What is the definition of full?
Full describes a condition where no more can be added because it is at maximum capacity or completely occupied.
Can something be filled and not be full?
Yes, something can be filled to a point below its maximum capacity, meaning it is not yet full.
Is full always the result of filling?
Generally, yes. Full is the state achieved after the action of filling something until it can hold no more.
Can full be used to describe time?
Yes, full can describe time, indicating a schedule that is completely occupied or a period that is fully utilized.
How do fill and full relate in terms of process and outcome?
Fill is the process that leads to the outcome of being full; filling is the action, while full is the state achieved.
How do abstract uses of fill and full differ?
Abstract uses of fill refer to fulfilling roles, needs, or time with activities, while full describes conditions like a full schedule, implying no additional space or time is available.
Is it correct to say "fill to the full"?
Yes, "fill to the full" is a correct phrase, emphasizing the process of filling something until it reaches its full capacity.
Can the terms fill and full be used interchangeably?
No, because fill refers to the action of making something full, and full is the state resulting from this action. They serve different grammatical and conceptual roles.
What is the difference between partially filled and half-full?
They can mean the same thing—both indicate that something is filled to some extent but not to capacity. The difference is mostly stylistic or contextual.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
