fill1 verbfill2 noun
fillfill1 /fɪl/ ●●● S1 W1 verb 
WORD ORIGINfill1
Origin:
Old English fyllan; related to ➔ FULL1VERB TABLE
fill
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | fill |
| he, she, it | fills | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | filled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have filled |
| he, she, it | has filled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had filled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will fill |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have filled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am filling |
| he, she, it | is filling | |
| you, we, they | are filling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was filling |
| you, we, they | were filling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been filling |
| he, she, it | has been filling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been filling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be filling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been filling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Fill the hole with a mixture of compost and sand.
- A feeling of joy filled his heart.
- After heavy rains in March, the reservoirs began to fill up.
- An audience of over 5,000 had filled the hall that night.
- Boxes and piles of magazines filled every room in the house.
- Computers used to fill up entire rooms.
- He had a notebook that he had filled with stories and poems.
- Her eyes suddenly filled with tears.
- I found a clean mug and filled it.
- Just turn on the faucet and fill it up.
- Mix the spinach and cheese and use it to fill the pasta shells.
- The days were hot, filled with sunshine and clear skies.
- The smell of smoke filled the house.
- They opened the doors and the hall quickly filled.
- Visitors fill Brighton's streets during the summer.
- We stood at the counter, filling our bowls with salad.
- Agelong Hindu cruelty to his unhappy brethren filled Ambedkar with anger and spite.
- He seemed to Robbie's eyes to fill the limited space.
- Morsels of luscious chocolate that seem shaped by a jeweller's hand are filled with sumptuous extravagances.
- Not without hesitation, he filled his water-bottle.
- Some analysts suspect that even the big companies will be stretched to fill all those extra berths.
THESAURUS
to put enough of something into a container to make it full: · Jenny filled the kettle and put it on to boil.· Party balloons can be filled with helium.
to fill something completely – used especially about putting petrol in the tank of a car: · I need to fill up the car.· The waiter filled up everyone’s glasses.· If the oil tank is less than half full, tell them to fill it up.
to fill a vehicle with goods, furniture etc: · Two men were loading a truck with boxes of melons.
to quickly fill something such as a bag or pocket by pushing things into it tightly: · She hurriedly stuffed some things into an overnight bag and left.
to fill a container again, after what was in it has been used: · I’m just going to refill this bottle from the tap.
British English, top off American English to fill a glass or cup that still has some liquid in it: · Can I top up your glass of wine?
formal to make something full again, especially with a supply of something such as water or food: · The lake is fed by springs that are eternally replenished by the rain.
Longman Language Activatorwhen a crowd fills a place if people crowd a place, they fill it and move around in it: · Shoppers crowded the town market.crowd aroundalso round British: · A large group of people crowded around the screaming child.· Fans crowded around the rear entrance of the concert hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of the band.
if a lot of people fill a place, there are so many of them that there is no room left for any more: · An audience of over 5,000 had filled the hall that night.· Visitors fill Brighton's streets during the summer.
if a lot of people mill around , they move around a place in different directions, without any particular aim, especially while waiting for something: · People were milling around in the corridor, waiting for the show to start.· About 40 onlookers milled about while detectives examined the scene.
if a lot of people, especially people that you do not like or approve of, swarm around a particular place, they fill it and move around it: swarm across/along etc: · Every day tourists swarm through the narrow streets of the old city.· Hundreds of troops swarmed across the border.
to become fatter to get fatter and heavier: · John's put on a lot of weight recently, hasn't he?put on 5 kilos/2 lbs etc: · I put on several pounds while I was on holiday, so now I'm on a strict diet.
to become fatter and heavier, especially until you reach the weight you should be: · When I was young, I could eat all I wanted without gaining weight. gain 2 kilos/4 lbs etc: · Ben's gained at least five kilos since he was born.
to start getting fatter after being too thin: · Gerry was terribly thin when he came out of hospital, but he's filled out a lot since then.· Sue looks much healthier now and her face has started to fill out.
to become full to gradually become full: · About half an hour before the performance, the theatre starts to fill up.· The drought has ended at last, and the reservoirs are filling up again.
to become full: · They opened the doors and the hall quickly filled.fill with: · Her eyes suddenly filled with tears.
to make something full to put enough of something into a container to make it full: · Mix the spinach and cheese and use it to fill the pasta shells.fill something with something: · We stood at the counter, filling our bowls with salad.· He had a notebook that he had filled with stories and poems.
to fill a container that already has a small amount of something in it: · The waiter filled up everyone's glasses.fill something up with something: · If the oil tank is less than half full, tell them to fill it up.fill up something with something: · I filled up the sandbox with some more sand.
to quickly fill something such as a bag or pocket by pushing things into it tightly: stuff something into something: · She hurriedly stuffed some things into an overnight bag and left.stuff something with something: · We had to stuff envelopes with letters and information packs.
to push too many things into a container or space, so that they are all pressed together: cram/jam something into something: · I crammed all my clothes into the suitcase and called a taxi.· Too many houses are crammed into too small an area.· Fifty-five children were jammed into a classroom designed to hold thirty.
also load up to fill a vehicle with goods, furniture etc: · Loading the van was hard work.· This giant machine can load up a 10-ton truck every few minutes.load something into something: · A woman was loading groceries into her car.load something with something: · Two men were loading up a truck with boxes of melons.
full if a container, room, or space is full , nothing more can go into it: · a full bottle of milk· All the parking spaces were full.· The lecture hall was full for MacGowan's talk.full of: · The buses were full of people going to work.· You can order a birthday box full of balloons, banners and party favors.
full of something - use this about a container when a lot of things have been put into it: · Pour the mixture into a tall glass filled with ice.· There were lots of tiny drawers filled with screws and nails.
completely full of people - use this about a room, theatre, train, bus etc: · a packed theatre· The plane was packed, because a previous flight had been cancelled.packed with: · On the day of her funeral the church was packed with friends and relatives.
a container that is overflowing is so full that the liquid or things inside it come out over the top: · Sewers were overflowing because of the rain.· The tables were covered with dirty coffee cups and overflowing ashtrays.overflowing with: · a trash can overflowing with garbage
something such as a bag or a pocket that is bulging is so full that the objects inside it push its sides outwards: · Wilson carried two bulging shopping bags from the duty-free shop.· a bulging wallet full of credit cardsbulging with: · The files are bulging with letters, mailing lists, and information on the subject.
British /be filled to the brim American if a container is full to the brim , it is full right to the very top, especially with liquid: · The reservoirs are filled to the brim after the spring floods.be full to the brim with: · The sink was full to the brim with dirty water and dishes.
British informal a room, vehicle, or building that is chock-a-block is so full of people that you cannot move easily in it: · The train was chock-a-block and I couldn't get a seat for the whole journey.be chock-a-block with: · The cinema is usually chock-a-block with kids on Sunday afternoons.
so full of things that nothing else can possibly be put in: · How can children learn in crammed classrooms?crammed/jammed with: · The box was crammed with books.· O'Hare Airport was jammed with holiday flights.· The two resorts are crammed with hotels, discos, bars, and restaurants.
if a container is stuffed with things, it is very full of them because as much as possible has been put into it: · a huge picnic basket stuffed with food· The girls each had a small backpack stuffed with books, cards, crayons, paper, and games.· Police seized the plane and found bags stuffed with 1300 kilos of cocaine.
to provide something that is needed or wanted if someone or something meets or satisfies a need , they give people what they need or want: · Public transportation here has failed to meet the community's needs.meet/satisfy a need of: · It's extremely difficult for one teacher to meet the needs of 16 students in a class when each is working at a different level.satisfy a basic human need: · Belief in God or a supreme being seems to satisfy some basic human need.
also fulfil requirements British, /fulfill requirements American if someone or something meets or fulfils the requirements that have been set for them, they reach the standards that are necessary, especially standards that have been officially decided: · Beginning in April, street vendors will be required to meet a tough new set of requirements.meet requirements for: · The group has been notified by school officials that it no longer meets the requirements for a voluntary student organization.
to provide enough quantities of a product so that everyone who wants one can have one: · Record stores are finding it difficult to meet the demand for the group's latest CD, Greasy Pole. meet demand for: · Ford announced that it has increased production to meet demand for its new range of sports utility vehicle.
if something fills a need , for example a new product or service, it gives people something that they have wanted but which they have not been able to have until now: fill a need for: · The restaurant fills a need for good healthful food and for a good place to meet.· This handsome book fills a need for a clear children's guide to the African-American tradition of Kwanzaa.
to tell someone the most recent information to give someone regular information about decisions, events etc, so that they know exactly what is happening: · I want to know what you decide, so keep me informed.keep sb informed of/about: · We'll be keeping you informed of any new developments.· The doctor should be kept informed about any changes in your child's condition.keep somebody fully/well informed: · During the strike, the media kept the public fully informed about the situation.· Parents have complained that we are not keeping them very well informed of their children's progress.
to give someone regular information about what has been happening most recently: · We publish a weekly newsletter to keep everyone up to date.keep sb up to date with/on: · She reads the newspaper every day to keep herself up to date with financial affairs.· the magazine that keeps you up to date on all the latest in rock and pop
to tell someone about things that have happened recently, which they do not know about because they have not talked to you for quite a long time or they have been somewhere else: · You didn't miss much - I'll fill you in laterfill sb in on: · Marjorie filled us in on all the latest gossip.· Please can someone fill me in on anything I've missed?fill somebody in on what/where/when etc: · Bob filled me in on what he had been doing since we last met.
to give someone all the necessary information about a situation, so that they know exactly what is happening or so that they are prepared for something that they have to do: · Police officers were briefed before going out to arrest the suspects.be fully/well briefed: · Make sure that the PR department are fully briefed on their role.· It was clear the witness had been well briefed.brief somebody on/about something: · You'll be picked up from here tomorrow night and briefed on what you have to do.· DeGaulle flew back to England to be briefed about the invasion that was about to begin.
informal to tell someone all the information they need to know about a situation: · "Have you heard about the deal with IBM?" "Yes, John's just been giving me the low-down."give sb the low-down on: · The travel reporter was giving the low-down on the evening's traffic chaos.
to tell someone the things that have happened concerning a particular piece of work, plan, or situation since they last saw you: · Let me give you an update on the trial.· Can you give me an update on any policy changes there've been since we last spoke?
to officially tell someone about what has been happening in a particular area of work, especially because it is your job to do so: · Is there anything to report?report to somebody on something: · Nicky reports to me on any new developments in the relevant technological fields.report back (to somebody): · The delegation will report back to Congress on the situation inside China.
to write information on an official document to write information or answer questions on an official document, for example giving your name, address, and age: · Passengers must fill in a boarding card before boarding the plane.· I must have filled out the order form incorrectly.fill something in/fill something out: · You just fill it out, then send it in to the passport office.
to write information, such as your name, the date etc on something such as a cheque or a form: write (out) something: · I'll write out a cheque for $500 to cover expenses.write somebody (out) something: · Why don't you get the doctor to write you a prescription for some painkillers?write something out: · Write the information out here on this form, and I'll order the books for you.
to write the necessary details on an official document such as a cheque or ticket, including the name of the person or organization it should go to: make out something: · He made out a cheque for $100.make something out (for somebody): · Would you like me to make out a receipt for you?· He's just making the booking form out.make out a cheque to somebody (=write on a cheque the name of the person you are paying it to): · Who should I make the cheque out to?· If you want to pay by check, make it out to GK Fisher.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
Her eyes filled with tears. Numerous pictures fill every available space. I was filled with admiration for her. Their faces were suddenly filled with fear. Volunteers fill a real need for teachers in the Somali Republic. I spent most of the summer filling the gaps in my education. The company has moved quickly to fill the niche in the overnight travel market. I have no trouble filling my time. Women fill 35% of senior management positions. Thank you for your letter. Unfortunately, the vacancy has already been filled. The UK should find another weapon to fill the same role. Her eyes filled up with tears.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES When you’ve filled in the blanks, hand the form back to me. The thought of leaving filled him with dismay. The prospect of flying filled me with dread. Filled with remorse, Dillon decided to resign. Running the business helped to fill the void after his wife died. The amusement park will fill a void in this town, which has little entertainment for children.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
Her eyes filled with tears. (=fill something completely) a bucket filled to the brim with ice
a bucket filled to the brim with ice Numerous pictures fill every available space. I was filled with admiration for her. Their faces were suddenly filled with fear. Volunteers fill a real need for teachers in the Somali Republic. I spent most of the summer filling the gaps in my education. The company has moved quickly to fill the niche in the overnight travel market. I have no trouble filling my time. Women fill 35% of senior management positions. Thank you for your letter. Unfortunately, the vacancy has already been filled. The UK should find another weapon to fill the same role. Her eyes filled up with tears.· I’m full of admiration for what you’ve done.
· His face was suddenly filled with anger.
(=write all the necessary information on it)· I would like to fill out an application for the position.· You can fill in the application form online.
When you’ve filled in the blanks, hand the form back to me. (=completely full) The cup was filled to the brim with coffee.
The cup was filled to the brim with coffee. (=be completely full)· The courtroom was filled to capacity.
· Two big containers were filled with water.
· Angie filled the cup and handed it to him.
The thought of leaving filled him with dismay. The prospect of flying filled me with dread.· They were full of excitement at the thought of meeting a real movie star.
(=write the answers to the questions on a form) Fill in the form and send it back with your cheque.
Fill in the form and send it back with your cheque. (=put fuel in a vehicle's fuel tank)· Before leaving, I filled up with fuel at the local petrol station.
· She was filled with gloom as she looked around the place.
· As I drove back home, I was filled with happiness.
· People’s faces were full of hate.
· She told me, in a voice full of hatred and contempt, that I meant nothing to her.
· I was full of joy at the thought of seeing her again.
· She stopped to fill up with petrol.
· His heart was filled with pity for them.
(=find someone to do a job)· We are now seeking to fill some key positions in the company.
(=find someone to do a job)· They have advertised the post but it hasn't yet been filled.
(=answer all the questions in it) All staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their jobs.
All staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their jobs. Filled with remorse, Dillon decided to resign.· The house was filled with the smell of baking bread.
· His eyes filled with tears as he recalled his mother’s sacrifices.
(=find or be a new person for a job)· We are making every effort to fill the vacancies.
· What political ideas have filled the vacuum left by the fall of communism?
Running the business helped to fill the void after his wife died. The amusement park will fill a void in this town, which has little entertainment for children.· They circled in the wind, their cries filling the morning air as we crossed the bottom meadows into the hamlet.· But there is another way to make it float, which is to fill it with hot air.· A spark-boat sputtered by, filling the air with the smell of ozone.· A cacophony of violins, clarinets and trumpets fills the air.· The child stops, judders violently, fills his lungs with air, ready for more.· A sheet of flame issues from our ranks; a cloud of smoke fills the air and obscures our vision.· A huge chasm had appeared with flames creeping through and billowing smoke filling the air.· Leafu autumn filled the air, but even so the afternoon had the temperate, almost silky feel of mid-summer.
· Application forms Sometimes you will be required to fill in an application form which will be used to select candidates for interview.· During those terrible months after getting his pink slip, he filled out endless application forms.· Please read the notes before filling in the application form on pages 3 and 4.· And they push and prod them to do everything from filling out college applications to finishing their science projects.· It could allow only 800 posts to be filled out of more than 1,700 applications nationwide.· Since January, those applying for loans up to $ 100, 000 need only fill out a one-page application.· Simply fill in the application form and return it to your branch.· Besides, she was busy writing letters and filling out applications for grad school.
· It is the one construction which will fill the bill exactly.· It just happened that Bobby filled the bill in this case.· And certainly, Peter Weiss' Marat-Sade fills the bill for audience and company alike.· In the end, only some form of income subsidy will fill that bill.· In lieu of real out-of-town travel, Kingfisher fills the bill nicely.· For many of these postindustrial wanderers, the primal quality of pentecostal worship seemed to fill the bill.· Had she been a man, his dear friend Aspasia could have filled the bill.· Luckily, Colossal still fills the bill.
· Choose New Card or New Contact and fill in the blanks.· That gave Clinton the opportunity to fill in the partisan blanks, in greatly unflattering terms.· To build these clever applications, you just select from menus or fill in the blanks on forms.· But the Holy Spirit would fill in the blanks.· Concert work fills the blanks in her diary left by the Bastille debacle.· Still, some means had to be found to fill in the blanks.· Does the whole conceptual perspective of the Monitor theory narrow down to a focus on filling in the blanks?· The author then filled in the blanks about how wise, handsome, brave, and team-spirited they were.
· Siobham half fills each glass in turn except one which she fills to the brim.· Looking back, Susan saw South Park filled nearly to the brim with cloud, only the saw-toothed peaks rising above it.· Jacob filled to the brim with sorrow for the woman whom, despite everything, he had loved.· Children are wise and strong and filled to the brim with compassion.· She was here in the flesh to oblige Miss Beard, but her mind was filled to the brim with Joss Barnet.· Tipping the pencils from a paper cup, he filled it to the brim.· The big cup with the chipped handle had been filled almost to its brim with milky cocoa.
· Participants said the city's main square was filled to capacity.· The room was filled to capacity that night with professionals all dressed up and on their best behavior.· He bathed his face in the fountain of her body liquid, and filled his mouth to capacity.· The ship, it is said, is filled to capacity with sperm oil.· The Lake District National Park is filled to capacity for much of the summer.· Four 26-week groups are run simultaneously and are always filled to capacity.· A safety valve releases any excess pressure once the air chamber has been filled to capacity.· Were the planes leaving Sky Harbor for Texas and Pennsylvania filled to capacity?
· But my heart became filled with fear when I saw no prisoners.· The younger ones were filled with innocent fear.· His voice was filled with dread and fear and heavy weights.· Her mind was filled with fears and hopes, the principal one being the same for her as for him.· Yes, we love them, but their power over us fills us with fear and gnawing guilt.· His eyes, which, moments earlier, had been filled with fear and horror, were now clear, almost calm.· But it was not the sight of Sir Hugo or the girl that filled the men with fear.
· Sponsor Form Important Please take photocopies of this form before filling it in if you are going to collect lots of sponsors.· Normally forms must be filled out before such badges can be issued, including disclosure of a criminal record.· At Trent Park, you will be given a registration form to fill in and hand in before starting the walk.· He was using false addresses on every form he filled out.· Masses of forms to fill, medicals, then the issue of an enormous pile of kit.· There were forms to fill out.· They should get their form back all filled in with the area they forgot highlighted.
· This has allowed short term seated events to fill the gaps in the programme between major exhibitions.· Corporate social scientists now candidly admit that with the disintegration of traditional social structures, companies have filled the gap.· They then considered how best to fill these gaps - what research strategies, and what people and resources would be needed.· I suspect that if the government gets out of the way, more charities will eagerly fill whatever gap is created.· This idea should fill a gap in its particular market.· Foreign agribusinesses, using sophisticated Internet marketing, quickly fill gaps in U.S. supplies of everything from asparagus to garlic.· Sickness of workers requires skilled process workers from other shifts to fill the gap.· Steve Chamberlain of Capitol Video in Hollywood said the new film will fill in gaps and expand segments from the original.
· Siobham half fills each glass in turn except one which she fills to the brim.· In the kitchen I filled a glass and gave it to Edusha.· He filled a glass full of water and returned to his daughter's bedroom.· Toni filled the glasses with ice cubes and watched as Letia slid two thick red steaks under the broiler.· The aim of the game is to see which of the teams can fill up their glass the first.· He opened them each a beer and filled his own glass from one of the pitchers.· The game continues until one team fills the glass.· Three waiters descended on the table, filling water glasses, adjusting silverware and plates.
· It filled every house we lived in, spilling from every surface, crammed on to beds and shelves.· In previous years her job has been filled by a preregistration house officer.· Lenny has filled the house again.· Again young laughter would fill the house.· In the kitchen Maude was singing softly as she baked bread, its sweet, fresh scent filling the house.· We lost the topsoil that had been back-filled against the new house.
· Are employers using Compact to fill unattractive jobs?· The results, which are kept on file, are referred to when filling job orders.· A first-class woman columnist would come from the Liverpool Post, along with the man to fill the key job of chief sub-editor.· Ream was the last of the outsiders to fill the job.· Perhaps the clearest indication of this was the difficulty he encountered in filling the job of finance minister in his new cabinet.· Students are the people who, one way or another, will end up on our doorstep to fill our jobs.· Dave and Debbie Casson decided to share a ministry, offering themselves as a team to fill one job.
· An idea began to fill her mind, blocking everything else so that she could only fix on it.· Memories of Bryan and Jennifer filled his mind.· Rohan filled her mind, sleeping and waking.· The past fills our minds, but only the past of the last four decades.· But every minute of the day, music filled his mind.· It is true that Jacob will emerge more than just unscathed from the danger that fills his mind as he returns home.· Letting the questions fill his mind.
· Others can fill your needs, like finding a reliable defender.· It was vital to fill those needs so that women would begin to buy tickets and travel by airlines.· The wide acceptance of this style guide, and similar ones in other disciplines, suggests that it fills a need.· He could get his feet on the ground by filling a lefty bullpen need.· Antonia Fraser's admirable book has entirely filled that need.· One man who did this and filled a great need was James Watt.· Engineering does not start by knowing the answers but by attempting to fill the need.· Where bilingual ballots do fill a need is in the initiatives such as bond issues, charter amendments and the like.
· You might fill half a page or a dozen pages before you come to a standstill.· News of, and speculation about, the creature fills the pages of local newspapers and dominates the airwaves.· I could fill an eight-page supplement with their letters.· Sometimes the questioning went on for several days, and always the words were transcribed to fill hundreds of pages of transcript.· I could fill pages and pages with lists of self-help groups that have grown out of this discovered energy.· Soon Evan had filled his notebook page with memories of diving under the water to get a closer look at the boat.· A droll comment from time to time enlivens the dry information that fills most of the pages of a typical register.· After filling several notebook pages with black scrawl, I stopped the recorder.
· Phillip Neill also fills second place in the 750 championship, with 109 points to Morrison's 120.· Then it became a problem of moving the more intrepid ones westward so that others could fill their places.· Bodies crushed and absorbed, Tallis-Holly herself became trapped in the quivering, silent forest that filled the stone place.· Emma-Jane Mac filled third place on Everest Oyster with the only other clear round of the jump-off.· London will again fill one of the places with Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham competing for the other spot.· Headteachers began filling empty reception class places with under-fives in the Seventies because the low birth-rate had caused a shortage of five-year-olds.· She filled her place, she fetched and carried for him, but any tame girl would have done as well.
· Eagle currently has no finance director, and a person to fill this position is being actively sought.· Elections give newcomers the chance to unseat incumbents or to fill vacated positions.· The Vice-Chairman was unable to fill the vacant position so an interim administration was formed to take us to the next assembly.· Last fall, Kaczynski applied for a job at the Blackfoot Market, but Potter had already filled the position.· It informs them that others in society are more important and have a natural right to fill certain positions.· I participated in a national competition called to fill eight positions of associate professor in gastroenterology.· Not all groups feel the need to fill all of these positions.
· However the appointment of staff to fill the new posts meant that our overall complement was little changed and consciences were salved.· MacDonald could scarcely find enough party stalwarts with the ability or experience to fill even the major posts.· The training council is now trying to recruit some one to fill the £45,000-a-year post.· She used to be with Grand Metropolitan and now, apparently, they've had to appoint men to fill her post.· Mr Ozal is now under pressure to seek agreement with the opposition on a suitably dignified figure to fill the post.· Also, when does the right hon. and learned Gentleman hope to fill the post of Director of Public Prosecutions?· Staff are also seconded to fill established posts in geological survey departments in the developing nations of the Commonwealth.
· This will have profound implications for established roles and relationships, and the development of people with talent to fill the roles.· Thomas gave Rose credit for filling the role of point guard Wednesday.· Inside, however, I felt inherently inferior, inadequate to fill the role.· With the shift toward commercial traffic plus diminishing federal support, most regional providers have to evolve to fill new roles.· But, for the most part, these men and women were hired to fill more junior roles than Mr Steffen's.· And who, today, comes anywhere near filling that role?· We deny this, only to the inevitable result that we fool ourselves, and fill our leadership roles with fools.
· Cold glass and cold metal frame filling that room.· Clouds of steam from the dishwasher filled the room when the going got heavy.· In the transmitter, infra-red is modulated to carry the analogue sound information which then fills the room.· Her knowledge of publishing trends, literary history, and books of every description and genre, however, filled rooms.· I was too excited by the sight of all the beautiful objects that filled the room.· Nobody would be there with the party filling the other rooms.· Then the stench of burning bodies fills the room.· A lamp, a table, light filling a room.
· People began filling up the empty seats.· San Marcos then held a special election to fill the open seat, for which Thibadeau campaigned and lost.· He filled 80, 000 seats in a soccer stadium.· These bargains are designed to fill airline seats or hotel rooms that would otherwise sit empty.· And he knew he was the only one of them who could truly justify filling that empty seat.· The Conservative margin is expected to be reduced to one after two upcoming elections are held to fill vacated seats.
· Mr. Forth I am constantly conscious of my illustrious predecessors and daily find it difficult to fill their shoes.· But I think that she would hope that some of her students would help to fill her shoes.· Nor had they, because the old devils had filled their shoes with earth from Balnagowan in Easter Ross.· Then, as men often do, I found a woman who could fill her shoes, and married her.· Managers who never leave do not have to wait for another manager to retire or die so that they can fill their shoes.· But the sea rushed in, smoothing away the names, filling her shoes with frothy, sandy water.
· The pub was filling and the smoke haze thickened as spirits rose.· The gin flows and the room fills with smoke.· But then the room was filled with light and smoke.· The watching team could see through the windows that the interior of the chamber quickly filled with smoke.· Instead we sat silently in the cab as it slowly filled with smoke.· The car was filling with smoke.· The town's alleyways were filled with black smoke.· Another passenger convinced her to leave the plane, which was quickly filling with a choking smoke.
· Incidentally, direct a little light down behind the speaker: it fills the space behind him and makes him more three-dimensional.· Life has filled a space in the grove with wood reaching higher than I can.· The continents sit on shifting plates that form the outer crust of the Earth; and the oceans fill the spaces in between.· If Virginia Street seemed to stretch the material to fill the space, this second play seems to cram it in.· It fills all space, penetrating and permeating everything.· Prosperity was an endless prairie, and corporations expanded almost exponentially to fill those empty spaces.· New leaves will soon grow to fill the space.· Why fill up the space any sooner than necessary?
· But you couldn't feel smug about filling up your tank with unleaded while all that was going on.· At the pole, we fill the tanks with 400 tons of water and 700 tons of hydrogen and oxygen.· To operate, always fill the water tank while the machine is disconnected from the mains socket.· Then fill up the gas tank.· There were plenty more to fill your tank to the one inch to two gallons stocking ratio recommended.· Find something to eat and fill up the gas tank and see what the day brought.· These dutiful wives will stoke their boilers, fill their tanks to keep them running.· The problem is filling the antimatter tanks without annihilating them.
· As she replaced the receiver with a sad little gesture she felt her eyes fill with tears.· Once, my eyes start to fill with tears and I excuse myself and go to find the bathroom.· Her eyes suddenly filling with tears, she shook her head.· The air was filled with tear gas and hordes of these balloons floating on to the streets below in the afternoon sun.· When Ken came home, he walked into my room, his face filled with tears.· The hollow eyes on the pillow were filling with tears.· When Caterina hears this her eyes fill with tears, and Gilfil would like to comfort her.
· Blundell has filled the vacancy which had been earmarked for first-choice newcomer Damon Hill.· In fact, many teachers have left private preschool jobs to help fill the vacancies in primary-grade classrooms.· These are the course which will fill their vacancies rapidly.· The Executive Committee shall have power to fill any vacancy occurring in the office of Auditor during the year. 10.· Then, too, the band or orchestra directors may encourage kids to fill certain vacancies in the ensembles.· No wonder, then, that so many candidates are competing to fill the vacancy in DeKalb.· Clinton filled two vacancies on the high court in his first term.
· And Right-to-Life ideology has filled the vacuum.· Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will fill the vacuum created when Felipe Gonza lez was defeated as prime minister in 1996.· With fewer material battles to fight, character, values and faith seem to have filled the vacuum.· No new politician has come to the fore, so others vie to fill the vacuum.· But our instinctive need to fill the vacuum inspires us to the ultimate irony: We turn 12 average citizens into killers.· Bargaining might be said to help fill the vacuum that in other systems is occupied by disciplined political parties.
· The non-official majority was able to reduce the power of civil servants but powerless to fill the ensuing void.· In the resulting culture of pain, sadness and despair, disenfranchised young men fill the void of personal power with guns.· Husbands may put even more effort and hours into employment outside the home to fill the void.· So we try to fill the void by attacking other people, somehow taking esteem from them.· Often companies fill their voids with waste.· No accelerated training session can completely fill this void.· It fills all the interconnected voids, and the volume of water depends on the porosity and permeability of the rock.· A major consideration in 1983 was to fill the void left by the closure of the old dockyard.
· To operate, always fill the water tank while the machine is disconnected from the mains socket.· Simple tasks like filling sandbags or carrying water to the shower area were suddenly difficult.· If a fault develops in the machine water feed the product container can fill with water.· For Los Angeles to take their water to fill their washtubs and water glasses was one thing.· After filling a glass with water, she returned to the kitchen and sat down and slowly sipped the water.· Three waiters descended on the table, filling water glasses, adjusting silverware and plates.· The abandoned mines would fill with water contaminated with iron, acids and chlorides which could seep through ground waters affecting rivers.· Meanwhile the tunnel, open to the spray, was filling up with water.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► fill yourself (up)/fill your face► fill an order► fill something ↔ in► fill somebody ↔ in► fill something ↔ in► fill something ↔ in► fill something ↔ out► fill something ↔ out► fill somebody upPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- And certainly, Peter Weiss' Marat-Sade fills the bill for audience and company alike.
- Another thing was that most of the Republicans who might have filled the bill lived in the suburbs.
- For many of these postindustrial wanderers, the primal quality of pentecostal worship seemed to fill the bill.
- Had she been a man, his dear friend Aspasia could have filled the bill.
- In lieu of real out-of-town travel, Kingfisher fills the bill nicely.
- It is the one construction which will fill the bill exactly.
- It just happened that Bobby filled the bill in this case.
- Luckily, Colossal still fills the bill.
- New mayor Susan Hammer had to prove she could fill McEnery's shoes.
- Evening Today I had four baths to fill in time and I invented you.
- Recreational reading can be defined as a pastime by which the reader fills in time pleasantly.
- Tip-top young fellow, filling in time before Cambridge.
- But at the rear, in his camels-hair coat, filling up a comer with his huge body, he was standing.
- Fast cars drink petrol, and if you don't fill up often, your roses will become stranded with empty tanks.
- From where Nathan was sitting, in a chapel adjacent to the altar, he could hear the cathedral filling up.
- He can fill up the lane, earn his minutes and his keep just by being big.
- The doc says her lungs are all filled up with water.
- The space between them was filling up with unasked and unanswered questions.
- To attract crowds large enough to fill up the ornate space, big spectacles were de rigueur.
- Well, if you stop to fill up at a motorway service station your dreams could come true.
- A floral design with a Regency stripe background, for example, fits the bill perfectly.
- And the martini fits the bill?
- But it also fits the bill because people could order their favorite liquor.
- It is revealing, therefore, to see what sort of people are thought to fit the bill in these places.
- It just happened that Bobby filled the bill in this case.
- Many other jobs get handed out simply because a minister happens to know some one who might fit the bill.
- The fact that she and Hugh happened to fit the bill seemed to give her every opportunity for finding out.
- The martini perfectly fits the bill because of its simplicity.
- For the moneyed and the merely curious, stalls and kiosks were filled to overflowing.
- For the remainder of that summer churches were filled to overflowing and numerous conversions took place.
- She stepped into her shoes, grabbed her clothes, and ran that way.
WORD FAMILYnounfillrefillfillingfillerverbfillrefilladjectivefilling
1become/make full [intransitive, transitive] (also fill up) if a container or place fills, or if you fill it, enough of something goes into it to make it full: He poured her a drink, then filled his own glass. My job was filling the flour sacks. Take a deep breath and allow your lungs to fill.fill (something) with something Her eyes filled with tears.fill something to the brim/to overflowing (=fill something completely) a bucket filled to the brim with ice There was just enough wind to fill the sails. Miller’s band was filling dance halls (=attracting a lot of people) all over the country.2large thing/number [transitive] if a thing or group fills something, there is no space left: Crowds of well-wishers filled the streets. His wartime experiences would fill a book! All the seats were filled and a number of people were standing. Numerous pictures fill every available space.3sound/smell/light [transitive] if a sound, smell, or light fills a place, you notice it because it is very loud or strong: The smell of freshly baked bread filled the room.be filled with something The air was filled with the sound of children’s laughter.4emotions [transitive] if you are filled with an emotion, or if it fills you, you feel it very stronglybe filled with admiration/joy/happiness etc I was filled with admiration for her.be filled with horror/fear/anger/doubt/remorse Their faces were suddenly filled with fear.fill somebody with something The prospect filled him with horror.5provide something [transitive] to provide something that is needed or wanted but which has not been available or present beforefill a need/demand Volunteers fill a real need for teachers in the Somali Republic.fill a gap/hole/niche etc I spent most of the summer filling the gaps in my education. The company has moved quickly to fill the niche in the overnight travel market.6spend time [transitive] if you fill a period of time with a particular activity, you spend that time doing itfill your time/the days etc (with something) I have no trouble filling my time.7perform a job [transitive] to perform a particular job, activity, or purpose in an organization, or to find someone or something to do thisfill a post/position/vacancy etc Women fill 35% of senior management positions. Thank you for your letter. Unfortunately, the vacancy has already been filled. The UK should find another weapon to fill the same role.8crack/hole [transitive] (also fill in) to put a substance into a hole, crack etc to make a surface level: Fill in any cracks before starting to paint. materials developed to fill tooth cavities9fill yourself (up)/fill your face informal to eat so much food that you cannot eat any more10fill an order to supply the goods that a customer has ordered: The company is struggling to fill $11 million in back orders.11fill the bill American English to have exactly the right qualities SYN fit the bill British English: We needed an experienced reporter and Willis fills the bill.12fill somebody’s shoes to do the work that someone else normally does, especially when this is difficult because they have set a high standardGRAMMARFill belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object.• You can say: · She filled the bath with water. In this sentence, ‘the bath’ is the object of fill.• You can say: · The bath filled with water. In this sentence, ‘the bath’ is the subject of fill.Grammar guide ‒ VERBSTHESAURUSfill to put enough of something into a container to make it full: · Jenny filled the kettle and put it on to boil.· Party balloons can be filled with helium.fill up to fill something completely – used especially about putting petrol in the tank of a car: · I need to fill up the car.· The waiter filled up everyone’s glasses.· If the oil tank is less than half full, tell them to fill it up.load/load up to fill a vehicle with goods, furniture etc: · Two men were loading a truck with boxes of melons.stuff/cram to quickly fill something such as a bag or pocket by pushing things into it tightly: · She hurriedly stuffed some things into an overnight bag and left.refill to fill a container again, after what was in it has been used: · I’m just going to refill this bottle from the tap.top up British English, top off American English to fill a glass or cup that still has some liquid in it: · Can I top up your glass of wine?replenish formal to make something full again, especially with a supply of something such as water or food: · The lake is fed by springs that are eternally replenished by the rain.fill in phrasal verb1document fill something ↔ in to write all the necessary information on an official document, form etc: Don’t forget to fill in your boarding cards.2tell somebody news fill somebody ↔ in to tell someone about recent events, especially because they have been away from a placefill in on I think you’d better fill me in on what’s been happening.3crack/hole fill something ↔ in to put a substance into a hole, crack etc so it is completely full and level4 fill in time to spend time doing something unimportant because you are waiting for something to happen: She flipped through a magazine to fill in the time.5space fill something ↔ in to paint or draw over the space inside a shape6do somebody’s job to do someone’s job because they are not therefill in for I’m filling in for Joe for a few days.fill out phrasal verb1 fill something ↔ out to write all the necessary information on an official document, form etc2if you fill out, or your body fills out, you become slightly fatter: Eric has filled out around the waist.3if a young person fills out, their body becomes more like an adult’s body, for example by having bigger muscles, developing breasts etc: At puberty, a girl’s body begins to fill out.4fill something ↔ out to add more details to a description or storyfill up phrasal verb1if a container or place fills up, or if you fill it up, it becomes fullfill up with Her eyes filled up with tears.fill something ↔ up Shall I fill the car up (=with petrol)?2fill (yourself) up informal to eat so much food that you cannot eat any morefill up with/on Don’t fill yourself up with cookies. He filled up on pecan pie.3 fill somebody up informal food that fills you up makes you feel as though you have eaten a lot when you have only eaten a small amountfill1 verbfill2 noun
fillfill2 noun EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- And as I stood and gazed my fill A stable-boy came down the hill.
- He probably can not afford to get his fill.
- The fill must be stabilized before big-time development can start on the island.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES When you’ve filled in the blanks, hand the form back to me. The thought of leaving filled him with dismay. The prospect of flying filled me with dread. Filled with remorse, Dillon decided to resign. Running the business helped to fill the void after his wife died. The amusement park will fill a void in this town, which has little entertainment for children.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
· I’m full of admiration for what you’ve done.
· His face was suddenly filled with anger.
(=write all the necessary information on it)· I would like to fill out an application for the position.· You can fill in the application form online.
When you’ve filled in the blanks, hand the form back to me. (=completely full) The cup was filled to the brim with coffee.
The cup was filled to the brim with coffee. (=be completely full)· The courtroom was filled to capacity.
· Two big containers were filled with water.
· Angie filled the cup and handed it to him.
The thought of leaving filled him with dismay. The prospect of flying filled me with dread.· They were full of excitement at the thought of meeting a real movie star.
(=write the answers to the questions on a form) Fill in the form and send it back with your cheque.
Fill in the form and send it back with your cheque. (=put fuel in a vehicle's fuel tank)· Before leaving, I filled up with fuel at the local petrol station.
· She was filled with gloom as she looked around the place.
· As I drove back home, I was filled with happiness.
· People’s faces were full of hate.
· She told me, in a voice full of hatred and contempt, that I meant nothing to her.
· I was full of joy at the thought of seeing her again.
· She stopped to fill up with petrol.
· His heart was filled with pity for them.
(=find someone to do a job)· We are now seeking to fill some key positions in the company.
(=find someone to do a job)· They have advertised the post but it hasn't yet been filled.
(=answer all the questions in it) All staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their jobs.
All staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their jobs. Filled with remorse, Dillon decided to resign.· The house was filled with the smell of baking bread.
· His eyes filled with tears as he recalled his mother’s sacrifices.
(=find or be a new person for a job)· We are making every effort to fill the vacancies.
· What political ideas have filled the vacuum left by the fall of communism?
Running the business helped to fill the void after his wife died. The amusement park will fill a void in this town, which has little entertainment for children.· Here the nomads water their flocks and the horses drink their fill when the tourists have dismounted.
· Why were those high-fibre eaters keeping slim even when they were eating their fill?· Menelaus gave them a courteous greeting and bade them eat their fill.· There was still time for Frankie, if he was very quiet and very careful, to eat his fill.· I stopped at some blackberry bushes and ate my fill.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► have had your fill of somethingPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- Here the nomads water their flocks and the horses drink their fill when the tourists have dismounted.
- I stopped at some blackberry bushes and ate my fill.
- Menelaus gave them a courteous greeting and bade them eat their fill.
- There was still time for Frankie, if he was very quiet and very careful, to eat his fill.
- Why were those high-fibre eaters keeping slim even when they were eating their fill?
- A floral design with a Regency stripe background, for example, fits the bill perfectly.
- And the martini fits the bill?
- But it also fits the bill because people could order their favorite liquor.
- It is revealing, therefore, to see what sort of people are thought to fit the bill in these places.
- It just happened that Bobby filled the bill in this case.
- Many other jobs get handed out simply because a minister happens to know some one who might fit the bill.
- The fact that she and Hugh happened to fit the bill seemed to give her every opportunity for finding out.
- The martini perfectly fits the bill because of its simplicity.
- For the moneyed and the merely curious, stalls and kiosks were filled to overflowing.
- For the remainder of that summer churches were filled to overflowing and numerous conversions took place.
- She stepped into her shoes, grabbed her clothes, and ran that way.
WORD FAMILYnounfillrefillfillingfillerverbfillrefilladjectivefilling
1have had your fill of something informal to have done something or experienced something, especially something unpleasant, so that you do not want any more: I’ve had my fill of screaming kids for one day.2eat/drink your fill old-fashioned to eat or drink as much as you want or need