fill
fill
Pronunciation
fill: /fɪl/
/fɪl/ - There is only one syllable in this word.
Word Form Variations
Verb:
Base form: fill
Third-person singular present: fills
Present participle: filling
Past tense: filled
Past participle: filled
Noun:
Singular: fill
Plural: fills
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Definition 1: To make or become full; to occupy the whole capacity of.
Synonyms: load, pack, stuff, complete, occupy, saturate, replenish
Antonyms: empty, drain, deplete, vacate, hollow
Definition 2: To satisfy a requirement, need, or position.
Synonyms: fulfill, meet, satisfy, accomplish, complete, address, occupy
Antonyms: fail, neglect, disappoint, miss, abandon
Noun
Definition 1: An amount that fills something, or enough to fill something.
Synonyms: capacity, plenitude, load, content, bulk, sufficiency
Antonyms: emptiness, void, lack, deficit, dearth
Definition 2: Material used to fill a space or an excavation.
Synonyms: stuffing, padding, wadding, packing, filler, aggregate
Antonyms: void, hollow, excavation, space, gap
Examples of Use
Books:
"He watched the sun fill the room with golden light, chasing away the morning chill." (From a contemporary romance novel, exact title varies but common imagery)
"The author uses vivid descriptions to fill the reader's mind with the sights and sounds of ancient Rome." (From a literary criticism of a historical fiction novel)
Newspapers:
"The city council is seeking to fill several vacant positions in the public works department." (Local newspaper article, e.g., The Daily Chronicle)
"Experts predict the new dam will fill rapidly during the upcoming rainy season, easing water shortages." (National newspaper, e.g., The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"Want to fill your home with smart tech? Here are the best devices to get started." (Tech review website, e.g., Wired.com)
"The comment section was quick to fill with diverse opinions on the controversial new policy." (Online news outlet, e.g., BBC.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film/TV: "That scene where the character has to fill the gas tank on the run really built the suspense." (Film review or discussion, e.g., Rotten Tomatoes review comment)
Music: "The bassline helps to fill out the sound, giving the song a fuller, richer feel." (Music production forum discussion)
Video Games: "Your inventory is full; you can't fill it with any more items until you make space." (In-game notification in an RPG)
Social Media: "Feeling blessed! My heart is filled with gratitude for all your birthday wishes." (Personal post on platforms like Instagram or Facebook)
Podcasts: "Our next guest will fill us in on the latest developments in quantum physics." (Podcast host's introduction)
General Public Discourse:
"Can you fill this glass with water for me, please?" (Everyday request)
"I need to fill out these forms before the deadline." (Common task description)
"The new restaurant always has a long wait; it tends to fill up quickly." (Casual conversation about a popular venue)
"Let me fill you in on what you missed at the meeting." (Offering an update to someone)
10 Famous Quotes Using Fill
"If you want to fill your life with joy and happiness, then you must be willing to give it away." (Zig Ziglar)
"The best way to fill a void is to stop trying to fill it and start trying to empty it." (Robert Brault)
"Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." (Dalai Lama XIV - metaphorical use related to "filling" one's life with happiness)
"Give me a place to stand, and I will fill the world." (Archimedes - often paraphrased as "give me a lever long enough...")
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." (Martin Luther King Jr. - metaphorical, as love can "fill" the space where animosity once was)
"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be." (Patanjali - describes how inspiration can "fill" one with new capabilities)
"You can't fill a bucket that's already full." (Common proverb)
"The way to fill your heart with joy is to keep it pure." (Lesser-known quote, often attributed to various spiritual teachings)
"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." (Norman Vincent Peale - metaphorical, as empty pockets don't "fill" with worries in the same way empty minds/hearts might)
"Every moment is a chance for us to make peace with the world, to make peace with ourselves, to see the good in everyone and everything." (Thich Nhat Hanh - metaphorical, as each moment can "fill" us with peace)
Etymology
The word "fill" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back thousands of years!
Imagine a very, very old language that's the ancestor of many European and Indian languages. Linguists call this Proto-Indo-European (PIE). In PIE, there was a root word, something like pleh₁-, which meant "to fill." This is the great-great-grandparent of "fill."
As languages evolved, this PIE root traveled into Proto-Germanic, which is the ancestor of English, German, Dutch, and other Germanic languages. Here, it became something like fullijaną, meaning "to make full" or "to fill." This also gave us the word "full" itself.
From Proto-Germanic, it moved into Old English, where it appeared as fyllan. This Old English word already meant "to fill, fill up, replenish, satisfy; complete, fulfill." So, the core meaning we use today was present even then.
The first known use of "fill" in written English, in a form we would recognize from Middle English (around the 12th to 15th centuries), was as fillen or fullen. At this point, it still carried the primary meaning of "to make full" or "to occupy the whole capacity of something." It also had the sense of "a full supply" or "satiety" (like eating your "fill").
So, in essence, "fill" has always been about making something full or complete, whether it's a container, a space, a need, or even a feeling.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Fill
Fill in the blanks: To complete missing information.
Fill out a form: To write necessary information on a document.
Fill up: To make something completely full, or to eat until one is full.
Fill (someone) in: To give someone information about something they've missed.
Fill (one's) shoes: To take someone's place and perform their duties as well as they did.
Fill the bill: To be exactly what is needed or suitable for a particular purpose.
Fill the air: To become prevalent or noticeable (e.g., "laughter filled the air").
To one's fill: As much as one wants or needs (e.g., "eat to your fill").
Fill a void: To provide something that was missing or lacking.
Fill with dread/joy/etc.: To cause a strong feeling of dread, joy, etc.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of fill from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
