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 tiff between the two rap stars was one of the most talked about hip-hop events in recent memory, chock-full of the salacious, “he said what?!” drama of reality TV.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 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
It’s chock-full of technology, water-cooled, and touchscreen-enabled, but less portable and discreet, and has a lot of settings to play with.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2025
She kept tons of bananas around the kitchen, stoneware bowls chock-full; next to honey, they were the most plentiful thing in the house.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
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.
