fill
- 01 A1 Beginner
v.to put something into a container until there is no more space.
v.to occupy the whole of a space or container; can be used transitively with an object or intransitively to describe a space becoming full.
Simple“Please fill the kettle with water and put it on the stove.”
In context“The workers began to fill the deep trench with gravel to ensure proper drainage before the heavy rains arrived.”
PitfallI filled the glass by water. I filled the glass with water.Use the preposition 'with' to indicate the substance used to fill a container.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
v.to do what is asked in an order, or to give someone a job that was empty.
v.to satisfy a requirement or supply what is requested; also to appoint a person to a vacant position.
Simple“The pharmacy will fill your prescription in about ten minutes.”
In context“The company struggled to fill the senior management role after the previous director resigned unexpectedly.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to put a special material into a hole in a tooth to fix it.
v.to treat a dental cavity by inserting a restorative material.
Simple“The dentist had to fill two small cavities during my check-up.”
In context“Modern dental practices often use composite resin to fill cavities, as it matches the natural colour of the patient's teeth.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.as much of something as you want or can handle.
n.an amount that satisfies a desire or need; frequently used in the phrase 'to have one's fill'.
Simple“I have had my fill of this cold weather and I am ready for summer.”
In context“After a week of rich holiday meals, the guests had finally had their fill of chocolate and heavy desserts.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
n.soil or rocks used to fill a hole in the ground.
n.material such as earth, stones, or waste used to raise the level of the ground or fill a depression.
Simple“The builders used clean fill to level the backyard before laying the grass.”
In context“The structural integrity of the embankment depends heavily on the quality and compaction of the fill used during the initial phase.”
Synonymsbackfillrubble - 06 C1 Advanced
n.a short piece of music played in the gap between parts of a song.
n.a short musical passage, riff, or drum sequence that fills a pause between main melodic phrases.
Simple“The drummer played a loud fill just before the chorus started.”
In context“The jazz pianist inserted a subtle melodic fill to bridge the transition between the verse and the improvised solo.”
Usage fill an important
From Middle English fillen, fullen, from Old English fyllan (“to fill, fill up, replenish, satisfy; complete, fulfill”), from Proto-West Germanic fullijan, from Proto-Germanic fullijaną (“to make full, fill”), from fullaz (“full”), from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós (“full”). Cognate with Scots fill (“to fill”), West Frisian folje (“to fill”), Low German füllen (“to fill”), Dutch vullen (“to fill”), German füllen (“to fill”), Danish fylde (“to fill”), Swedish fylla (“to fill”), Norwegian fylle (“to fill”), Icelandic fylla (“to fill”) and Latin plenus (“full”)
From Middle English fille, vülle, fülle, from Old English fyllu, from Proto-West Germanic fullī, from Proto-Germanic fullį̄ (“fullness”). Cognate with German Fülle.
See thill.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.