chock-full

American  

[chok-fool, chuhk-] / ˈtʃɒkˈfʊl, ˈtʃʌk- /

Also chock-ful,

adjective

1. full to the limit; crammed.

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chock-full British  

adjective

1. (postpositive) completely full

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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

“Man on the Run” is chock-full of unseen archival footage — the kind that McCartney aficionados will relish as Neville paints a revealing picture of the musician’s post-Beatles challenges.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026

While the structures have few windows or signs of human life, they are chock-full of computers running AI applications, processing credit-card transactions and churning through other business data around the clock.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

This week is chock-full of employment data that should help investors and policymakers alike gauge the general state of employment, all before Friday’s big jobs report.

From Barron's • Jan. 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