Meaning & use
feeling fulfilled
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Feeling happy and satisfied because you are achieving something meaningful or using your abilities well.
Grammar: Often used after a linking verb: She felt fulfilled after finishing the project. Can be followed by 'by' or 'in': fulfilled by helping others.
Patterns
- feel fulfilled
- be fulfilled by something
- feel fulfilled in your work
After years of volunteering, he felt fulfilled and proud of his contribution.
She was feeling fulfilled in her new job because she could help people every day.
Many people feel fulfilled when they spend time with family.
Common combinations
- feel completely fulfilled
- She felt completely fulfilled after raising her children.
- fulfilled in life
- He finally felt fulfilled in life after finding his passion.
- fulfilled by work
- Not everyone is fulfilled by their work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- satisfied
- Satisfied is milder and often about meeting a need or expectation; fulfilled suggests a deeper sense of meaning.
- content
- Content means quietly happy with what you have; fulfilled implies actively achieving something important.
- gratified
- Gratified means pleased because you got what you wanted; fulfilled is more about long-term purpose.
Opposites
Word family
- fulfill verb
- To do or achieve what is required or promised.
- fulfillment noun
- The feeling of being happy and satisfied.
- fulfilling adjective
- Making you feel happy and satisfied.
Commonly confused: feeling fulfilled or fulfilled?
feeling fulfilled vs fulfilled
As a verb, 'fulfilled' is the past tense of fulfill; as an adjective, it means satisfied. 'Feeling fulfilled' uses the adjective.
Practice
What does 'feeling fulfilled' mean?
Choose one answer.
Feeling fulfilled means a deep sense of satisfaction from meaningful achievement. It does not mean tired, angry, or confused.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “feeling fulfilled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.