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brimful

brimful

1 5.2
So full that it almost overflows
  • adjective
  • /ˈbrɪmfəl/
translation icon : rebosante
  • She'd never seen Naomi so overwrought, so brimful of emotion.

Examples

  • He had not felt so fit, so confident, so brimful of vigour, in ages.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • A quiet sobbing to my right drew my attention once more to Maura, and I saw her eyes brimful of tears.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The world is brimful of gifts if we look at where we are rather than lust after the shiny things that are just out of reach.

    Blog text (3)
  • To one side of the stones stood a great many urns and pitchers, each nigh brimful with water.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • "The dark eyes are brimful, the face suffused with a characteristic earnestness that Thurston, on the one hand, regards as spurious but, on the other, envies.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The cup was brimful of coffee, ready for anyone who needed a morning boost.

  • After the rain, the river was brimful with water, flowing rapidly.

  • The basket was brimful of fresh fruit, perfect for the summer picnic.

Synonyms

full of
vsbrimful
1.0

Containing a lot of something, like tears or facts

is specifically about being filled to the top, not just abundant
to flooded with
vsbrimful
27 3.5

To get more things than you can handle

means full to the top but does not imply being overwhelmed
chock-full
vsbrimful
23 4.1

So full that there is no space left

is full to the top and may almost overflow
replete
vsbrimful
16 6.6

Filled with many things, for example ideas or objects

is about physical top filling rather than formal abundance
awash
vsbrimful
16 4.1

Filled with a large amount of something

describes top filling inside a container rather than coverage
15 2.9

Full of a lot of something, often too much

means filled to the top but not necessarily excessive
saturated
vsbrimful
2 3.4

Completely soaked with liquid so it cannot absorb any more

describes top fullness rather than being soaked through with liquid
stuffed to the gills
vsbrimful
  • Informal
1 7.6

Completely full with no space left

covers full to the top without the food or crowd focus
brimful of
vsbrimful
1 3.8

Full to the top with something, often a feeling

emphasises the same top fullness in a simple, general way
choke-full
vsbrimful
7.0

Filled so tightly that there is no space left

describes top fullness but without the strong spill image
chuck-full
vsbrimful
  • US
6.1

Filled so nothing else can fit

expresses the same high fullness in a neutral form
brimming
vsbrimful
3.4

So full that it is almost overflowing, often with a strong feeling

focuses on physical top fullness rather than emotional quality
full to the gills
vsbrimful
  • Informal
6.6

Very full after a large meal or in a crowded place

highlights top fullness specifically rather than general abundance
filled
vsbrimful
1.0

Full of something that takes up most of it

uses the same fullness idea but stresses the top level
loaded
vsbrimful
2.6

Full of things so it is heavy or crowded

refers to top fullness of a container rather than being full of goods

Antonyms

1.0

Not containing anything

3.4

Feeling very tired with no energy left

Idioms

1 3.8

Full to the top with something, often a feeling

How Full

brimful
1 5.2
full
1.0
fullish
4.7
empty
1.0

Surface Forms

brimful positive
brimfull positive

Morphology

brimful = brim (transparent) = brim + ful

The adjective is directly formed from the noun 'brim' with the productive suffix '-ful' meaning 'full of' or 'having the quality of'.

Etymology

Brimful breaks into brim, the top edge of a cup or hat, and ful, meaning 'full'. So brimful means 'filled to the edge', which is why we use it for something completely full or almost overflowing.