Synonyms

full house

American

noun

Poker.

a hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair, as three queens and two tens.

full house British

noun

poker a hand with three cards of the same value and another pair
a theatre, etc, filled to capacity
(in bingo, etc) the set of numbers needed to win

"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

Etymology

Origin of full house

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

McIlroy eventually got over the line at the Masters last year, finally completing the full house and ending a painful 11-year fallow period.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

She stormed to the first set against Alycia Parks in front of a full house at the intimate court six.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

“Even if your house remained, you’re still traumatized, and you’ve missed your community. Tonight was really special, to have a full house of people who want to feel connected to each again.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025

How can she communicate her truth to a full house while still embodying the character they’ve come to the theater expecting to see?

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

With us around, he could always be sure of a full house, packed to the galleries.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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