What is a synonym for "chock full"?

Common synonyms include: awash, brimful, brimming, bulging, bursting, capacity.

How do you pronounce "chock full"?

Pronounced //ˌtʃɒk ˈfʊl//.

Chock full

/ˌtʃɒk ˈfʊl/ adj, slang

adj, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Usage: "Chock full" is primarily used as a adjective. Its central meaning — containing the maximum amount possible, flush on all sides, jam-packed, crammed — makes it most effective in contexts where precision matters over a more general alternative.

Origin: From Middle English chokkeful (“crammed full”) c. 1400, possibly from choke (“cheek”), equivalent to cheek + full. Or it may be from Old French choquier (“collide, crash, hit”), similar to shock. The later form chock-a-block full is due to association with chock, used in carpentry and shipbuilding.

Watch out: Writers sometimes confuse "chock full" with "SRO" or "awash" — the words overlap in meaning but differ in nuance or register. Use "chock full" when you specifically mean its core sense rather than defaulting to it as a generic substitute.

Definitions

Adjective

1
Containing the maximum amount possible, flush on all sides, jam-packed, crammed. informal
"That article is chock-full of errors."

Synonyms

All synonyms

awash brimful brimming bulging bursting capacity

Example

More examples

"That article is chock-full of errors."

Etymology

From Middle English chokkeful (“crammed full”) c. 1400, possibly from choke (“cheek”), equivalent to cheek + full. Or it may be from Old French choquier (“collide, crash, hit”), similar to shock. The later form chock-a-block full is due to association with chock, used in carpentry and shipbuilding.

Next best steps

Browse writing guides Explore topic clusters