The right filled synonym changes with what got filled: a box, a stadium, a heart, a vacancy or a customer order. Full, packed, crammed, brimming and loaded handle most physical cases, while taken and fulfilled handle jobs and orders.
Filled is both an adjective (a filled cup) and the past tense of fill (she filled the cup). We cover both, plus the phrases filled with and filled out, which trip up many writers.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
full, packed, crammed, brimming, loadedPart of speech
Adjective; past tense and past participle of fillStrongest
bursting, overflowing, jam-packedMost casual
chock-full, jam-packed, heavingMost formal
imbued with, replete withAntonyms
empty, vacant, unfilledWord forms covered
fill, fills, filling, filled with, filled out
Filled synonym table by situation
| Situation | Swap with | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| A container | full, packed, stuffed, loaded | The trunk was stuffed with camping gear. |
| A place with people | crowded, teeming, mobbed, busy | The market was teeming with shoppers. |
| Emotion | brimming with, overcome with, charged with | Her voice was charged with anger. |
| A post or seat | taken, occupied, booked | All the morning slots are booked. |
| An order | fulfilled, completed, dispensed | The pharmacy dispensed the prescription in an hour. |
Full, packed, crammed: rising pressure
Picture a suitcase. If it is full, nothing more fits but it closes fine. Packed means it was filled with care or effort. Crammed means things were forced in. Overflowing means the contents spill over the top, and bursting suggests it might split at the seams.
The same ladder works for places. A packed concert is great news for the band; a crammed train is unpleasant; an overflowing shelter signals a real problem.
Filled in context, then swapped
- The room was filled with people becomes the room was crowded.
- My heart was filled with joy becomes my heart was brimming with joy. The joy synonyms page has more feeling words.
- The position has been filled becomes the position has been taken or, more formally, we have appointed a candidate.
- The essay is filled with errors becomes the essay is riddled with errors.
- We filled your order on Monday becomes we fulfilled your order on Monday.
- A garden filled with roses becomes a garden overflowing with roses.
A reply to a job applicant: "Sorry, the role is filled." A softer version: "Thank you for applying. We have now offered the role to another candidate." Naming what happened is kinder than a bare past participle.
Filled with, riddled with, rich in
The pattern filled with often hides an opinion, and a sharper phrase can show it. Riddled with is negative: errors, holes, debt. Rich in is positive: vitamins, history, detail. See rich synonyms for that sense. Packed with suits good things in quantity, like a schedule packed with events. Laden with is formal and often physical, as in branches laden with fruit. If the quantity is huge, abundance words such as plenty and wealth may serve better.
Fill, fills and filling: the verb forms
For the base verb, useful swaps are load, pack, stuff, top up and refill. Fills becomes loads or packs; filling becomes loading or stocking. In formal writing, replenish means filling something back up: staff replenish the shelves each night.
Filled out and filled in both mean completed for forms. Americans favor fill out, while British speakers often say fill in. Either way, complete is the neutral formal swap: "Please complete the attached form."
When the opposite is needed
Empty is the everyday antonym. Vacant suits rooms, seats and jobs: a vacant post. Unfilled is precise for roles and orders. Deserted means a place that people have left, often with an eerie tone, and hollow describes something empty inside, sometimes used for feelings: a hollow promise.
- The stadium was deserted by midnight.
- Three posts remain unfilled.
Frequently asked questions
Is full or filled the better choice?
Full describes a state: the glass is full. Filled points to an action that happened: the glass was filled by the waiter. In most adjective uses, full sounds more natural.
How do I say filled with emotion more vividly?
Try overcome with, brimming with or overflowing with. Overcome with suggests the feeling took control, which suits grief or relief.
Which word replaces filled when talking about a job?
Taken, occupied or staffed work in casual updates. In formal notices, write that the vacancy has closed or that a candidate has been appointed.
Can I write fulfilled instead of filled for an order?
Yes. Fulfilled is the standard business term for orders, and filled is common in American retail and pharmacy use.
Does a filled synonym exist with a negative tone?
Riddled with, clogged with and choked with all add a negative tone. They suit errors, traffic and weeds.
Which antonym should I use for filled?
Empty for containers, vacant for rooms or posts, and unfilled for orders and roles that are still open.