fulfilling
Americanadjective
Usage
What does fulfilling mean? Fulfilling means providing or resulting in satisfaction or contentment. A job is fulfilling when it allows a person to fully use their talents and work on projects that they enjoy and that they find meaning in. A relationship is fulfilling for someone when it brings them happiness and a deep connection. Fulfilling is also the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb fulfill, meaning “to satisfy” or “to bring about” (which is how it’s used in the term self-fulfilling, as in self-fulfilling prophecy). Something that’s fulfilling leads to fulfillment—a state of satisfaction or contentment. Someone who feels this way can be described as fulfilled. Example: My trip across Europe has been so fulfilling—I’ve learned new languages and new cultures, and, most importantly, I’ve learned new things about myself.
Etymology
Origin of fulfilling
First recorded in 1300–50; fulfill ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
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.
"He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams," Dolly wrote.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The rewards of fulfilling one’s dharma, to be sure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
But while he still harboured hope of fulfilling that ambition, Arteta's men focused on the captures of Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, while also trying to bring Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr to London.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Along with our vow to renounce war, I reaffirmed our determination to continue fulfilling our responsibility to uphold Japan's postwar path as a peaceful nation," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
It was this obscure need that had pulled me into the labor movement in the beginning and by exercising it I was but fulfilling what I felt to be the laws of my own growth.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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.
