Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

brim

1 American  
[brim] / brɪm /

noun

  1. the upper edge of anything hollow; rim; brink.

    the brim of a cup.

  2. a projecting edge.

    the brim of a hat.

  3. margin.

verb (used without object)

brimmed, brimming

  1. to be full to the brim.

verb (used with object)

brimmed, brimming

  1. to fill to the brim.

brim 2 American  
[brim] / brɪm /

noun

plural

brim,

plural

brims

  1. Southern U.S. bream.

brim British  
/ brɪm /

noun

  1. the upper rim of a vessel

    the brim of a cup

  2. a projecting rim or edge

    the brim of a hat

  3. the brink or edge of something

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to fill or be full to the brim

    eyes brimming with tears
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
brim Idioms  

  1. see filled to the brim.

Related Words

See rim.

Other Word Forms

  • brimless adjective
  • brimmingly adverb
  • unbrimming adjective

Etymology

Origin of brim

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English brimme “brink, rim” (earlier, “shore, bank”); apparently akin to Middle High German brem, ( German Bräme ), Old Norse barmr “rim, edge”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Filling the stockpile to the brim will cost around $20 billion according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

The result is storage facilities that are full to the brim.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

For all of the pain and despair at the heart of Preston’s story, his musical contributions brim with optimism and panache.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

As the groups progressed toward the medal contenders, the crowd filled Milano Ice Skating Arena to the brim.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

Her gaze lingered over Tansy’s new hat with its bunch of artificial grapes spilling off the brim.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.