chockablock

1 7.9

Completely full of people or things

adjective
/ˈtʃɑkəˌblɑk/

: abarrotado

The shelves in the bookstore were chockablock with new titles after the holidays.

Examples

The market was chockablock with shoppers on Saturday.
Her suitcase was chockablock with clothes, leaving no room for souvenirs.
During the festival, the streets become chockablock with tourists and stalls.
The train was chockablock with passengers during rush hour.
The festival was chockablock with visitors eager to enjoy the celebrations.
The closet was chockablock with clothes, leaving no space for anything else.
After the sale, the store was chockablock with shoppers grabbing the best deals.

Synonyms

crowded

vschockablock

296 1.0

Full of too many people to move or sit comfortably

means total packed capacity rather than focusing on discomfort

packed

vschockablock

222 1.3

Full of people with no room left

stresses a general full condition rather than a specific overflow image

jammed

vschockablock

39 2.3

Full of people or things with no space left

matches the packed meaning but often implies a sudden stop or hold

overcrowded

vschockablock

35 3.1

Too many people or things in a place so it feels uncomfortable

denotes being full to capacity without stressing harm or inefficiency

wall-to-wall

vschockablock

28 4.2

Completely full of people or things with no space to move

applies the same total filling idea to any space rather than objects

chock-full

vschockablock

26 4.1

So full that there is no space left

is the informal phrase meaning the exact same complete fullness

congested

vschockablock

19 4.4

Too full to allow movement, for example during heavy traffic

describes fullness without emphasising blockage or movement difficulty

jam-packed

vschockablock

14 3.7

Very full and crowded with almost no space

emphasizes the same extreme fullness rather than partial crowding

cram full

vschockablock

4 3.0

Completely filled with things, like a bag or pocket, so nothing else fits

focuses on tight packing rather than loose fullness

chock-a-block

vschockablock

2 8.2

So full that there is little or no space

means the same intense packed condition in informal use

stuffed to the gills

vschockablock

Informal

1 7.6

Completely full with no space left

focuses on being packed to capacity rather than merely crowded

thronged

vschockablock

1 6.0

A place full of many people standing close together

highlights the same crowding but can also apply to objects

packed to the rafters

vschockablock

Informal

1 4.9

Completely full of people or things with no space left

uses the same maximal fullness image rather than a mild fullness

choke-full

vschockablock

1 7.0

Filled so tightly that there is no space left

conveys identical overflowing fullness rather than a different state

chockful

vschockablock

1 6.3

Full so there is no room left

expresses the same total fullness with a slightly different form

chuck-full

vschockablock

1 6.1

Filled so nothing else can fit

says the same idea but in a different colloquial form

full to the gills

vschockablock

Informal

1 6.6

Very full after a large meal or in a crowded place

is the same expressive phrase for total fullness

Antonyms

empty

∞ 1.0

Not containing anything

unoccupied

13 3.4

Empty and not used by anyone

How Full

chockablock

1 7.9

packed

222 1.3

full

∞ 1.0

fullish

1 4.7

empty

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

chockablock positive

Etymology

Chockablock comes from old sailing language, where two parts called a chock and a block (wooden pulleys) were pushed so close together they 'jammed' and the rope could not move. So chockablock means 'completely full' or packed with no room.