chock-full
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of chock-full
1350–1400; Middle English chokke-fulle, equivalent to chokke (< ?) + fulle full 1
Explanation
Things that are chock-full are crowded or packed. If your neighborhood roller skating rink is chock-full of kids, there's not much room for more skaters. If your freezer is chock-full of ice cream sandwiches, there's no extra space for your ice cube trays, and if your house is chock-full of sweaty football players, you might want to open a window to air the place out. The adjective chock-full sounds modern, but it's been around since about 1400, originally as chokkeful, which may be rooted in choke, or "cheek."
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.
The company’s S-1 is nearly 300 pages, chock-full of futuristic product ideas and lingo more reminiscent of science fiction than your typical Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
The season was chock-full of cameos from celebrities like Billie Eilish and Sia, and included former “Survivor” runner-up and “White Lotus” creator Mike White as a contestant.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
“Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” is a wild, unpredictable ride, chock-full of sonic sound and fury.
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
The typical Arcadia volume is chock-full of vintage photographs and tends to be less text-focused; History Press, as with the other imprints Arcadia has scooped up over time, allows authors to actually write more.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2025
Moments later wheeled carts arrive, chock-full of pastries, eggs cooked in every way, grilled meat, petit-pancakes with sugar dust, and bowls of colorful fruit.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
