a filler

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A sound, word, or phrase people say to fill a pause while they think or hesitate.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a filler' or 'fillers'.

   Patterns

   • use something as a filler
   • a filler in speech

   In the recording, you can hear her use 'um' as a filler between sentences.

   Teachers often tell students to avoid fillers like 'like' and 'you know' in formal presentations.

   He paused and added a filler, 'well', before answering the question.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountablemedical

   A substance put into something to make it fuller, especially a gel injected into the skin to smooth wrinkles.

   Grammar: Can be countable ('a filler') or uncountable ('some filler').

   Patterns

   • inject a filler
   • have fillers
   • dermal filler

   The clinic offers lip fillers and other cosmetic treatments.

   She had a filler injected around her mouth to reduce lines.

   Some people use a temporary filler made of hyaluronic acid.

3. 3nouncountable or uncountabletechnical

   Something added to a product, mixture, or container to take up space or make it seem larger.

   Grammar: Often used in technical or business contexts.

   Patterns

   • add a filler
   • use something as a filler

   The manufacturer added cheap fillers to the meat to lower costs.

   In the package, air acts as a filler to protect the contents.

   Paint often contains fillers that make it thicker and cheaper.

Word forms

Common combinations

speech filler

Her speech was full of speech fillers such as 'er' and 'um'.

lip filler

He said the lip filler would last about six months.

use something as a filler

The editor used a short quote as a filler to complete the page.

dermal filler

Dermal fillers are injected under the skin.

Synonyms and how they differ

padding

Padding is extra material added to make something longer or fuller, often in a text; a filler is more often a sound or substance.

stopgap

A stopgap is a temporary solution; a filler simply fills space or time.

Word family

fill verb

To make something full.

filling noun

The substance inside something, such as a tooth or a pie.

Commonly confused: a filler or filler?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a filler”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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