Meaning of fill In English

• 0 to make or become full; to use empty space:

  • I filled the bucket with water.

  • I could hear the tank filling.

  • She filled most of her time watching TV.

  • figurative Happy sounds filled the room (= could be heard everywhere in the room).

  • Before painting, fill (in) all the cracks in the plaster.

  • These cakes are filled with cream.

  • figurative The product clearly filled a need/gap in the market.

  • figurative The thought of it fills me with (= makes me feel) dread.

  • You should get that cavity filled.

• 1 to give a job or position to someone:

  • I'm sorry, the job/post/vacancy has already been filled.

  • We would prefer to fill the position with (= give it to) a recent graduate.

• 2 someone's fill is as much as they want or can deal with:

  • He took only a few minutes to eat/drink his fill.

  • I'd had my fill of his rude remarks.

• 3 to make or become fuller or full; to use empty space:

  • [ T ] I filled the bucket.

  • [ I ] After all that rain, the reservoirs are finally filling.

  • [ T ] The dentist says I need to have four teeth filled (= treated to replace decayed material).

  • [ T ] I’m sorry, the position has already been filled.

• 4 an amount that is enough:

  • to eat/drink your fill

• 5 to employ someone to do a job:

  • fill a vacancy/post/position It took us over a year to fill that vacancy.

• 6 to do a job:

  • fill a vacancy/post/position A former state district judge will fill the vacancy created following the CEO's resignation.

  • He was political editor of the Sunday Mirror, then filled the same role at Today newspaper.

• 7 to provide something such as a product or service that someone wants or needs:

  • fill a gap/niche The theory is that the government's venture-capital funds can fill a gap in the market for start-ups.

  • fill a demand/need A new business must fill both a need and a demand. Selling something people need but don't want is noble but not profitable.

• 8 to supply a customer with the product or service they have requested:

  • The defence ministry called for bids to fill an order for 126 fighter jets.