- 1 [transitive, intransitive] to make something full of something; to become full of something fill something Please fill this glass for me. to fill a vacuum/void The school is filled to capacity. Smoke filled the room. The wind filled the sails. A Disney movie can always fill theaters (= attract a lot of people to see it). fill something with something to fill a hole with earth/a bucket with water fill something + adj. Fill a pan half full of water. fill (with something) The room was filling quickly. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. The sails filled with wind. block hole
- 2
[transitive] fill something (with something) to block a hole with a substance The crack in the wall had been filled with plaster. I need to have two teeth filled (= to have fillings put in them). (figurative) The product has filled a gap in the market.
- 3 [transitive] fill somebody (with something) to make someone have a strong feeling We were all filled with admiration for his achievements. with smell/sound/light
- 4 [transitive] fill something (with something) if a smell, sound, or light fills a place, it is very strong, loud, or bright and easy to notice -filled
- 5 (in adjectives) full of the thing mentioned a smoke-filled room a fun-filled day a need
- 6 [transitive] fill something to stop people from continuing to want or need something More preschools will be built to fill the need for high-quality child care. job
- 7
[transitive] fill something to do a job, have a role or position, etc. He fills the position satisfactorily (= performs his duties well). The team needs someone to fill the role of manager very soon.
- 8 [transitive] fill something to appoint someone to a job The vacancy has already been filled. time
- 9 [transitive] fill something (up) to use up a particular period of time doing something How do you fill your days now that you're retired? with food
- 10 [transitive] fill somebody/yourself (up) (with something) (informal) to make someone/yourself feel unable to eat any more The kids filled themselves up with snacks. an order
- 11 [transitive] fill something if someone fills an order or a prescription, they give the customer what they asked for see unfilled Idioms
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NAmE//fɪl//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they fill he / she / it fills
past simple filled
-ing form filling
to be what is needed in a particular situation or for a particular purpose On paper, several of the applicants fit the bill.
to do someone's job in an acceptable way when they are not there Phrasal Verbsfill infill outfill up
Check pronunciation: fill