VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

filled to the gills

phrase·Advancedinformal

Last updated

UK/fɪld tə ðə ɡɪlz/
US/fɪld tə ðə ɡɪlz/

“filled to the gills” is a form of “fill to the gills”.

Meanings

  1. phraseidiominformal

    Packed so full that nothing more can fit, said of a place, vehicle or container.

    Grammar: Used after a verb like be or look: the van was filled to the gills.

    Patterns

    • be filled to the gills with something

    The theater was filled to the gills on opening night.

    Their garage is filled to the gills with old furniture.

    The suitcase was filled to the gills and would not close.

  2. phraseidiominformalhumorous

    Having eaten or drunk so much that you cannot take any more.

    Grammar: Describes a person or animal and follows a linking verb: I am filled to the gills.

    Patterns

    • be filled to the gills

    After the holiday feast, we were all filled to the gills.

    The puppy was filled to the gills with treats and fell asleep.

    I'm filled to the gills, so I will skip dessert.

Common combinations

filled to the gills with
The attic is filled to the gills with boxes.
stuffed to the gills
The pantry was stuffed to the gills with canned food.
packed to the gills
The stadium was packed to the gills.
full to the gills
The buses were full to the gills at rush hour.
loaded to the gills
The truck was loaded to the gills with crates.

Synonyms and how they differ

packed
Packed is a neutral, standard adjective, whereas filled to the gills is more colorful and informal.
jam-packed
Jam-packed also stresses crowding, but it is a single compound adjective and usually comes before a noun.
stuffed
Stuffed fits both food and crowded spaces, while filled to the gills adds a feeling of reaching the limit.
brimming
Brimming suggests a liquid or quality about to overflow, and has a more positive, literary tone.

Opposites

emptyhalf-empty

Word family

fill verb
to make a space contain as much as it can
full adjective
containing as much as possible
gills noun
the breathing organs of a fish
fullness noun
the state of being full

Commonly confused: filled to the gills or fed up?

filled to the gills vs fed up

Fed up means annoyed and tired of something, while filled to the gills means physically full.

Practice

The cafe was ____ at lunchtime, so we had to wait for a table.

Make it your own

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

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words