Phrase guide

fill out

verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /fɪl ˈaʊt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aʊt

1

verb

Meaning 1

To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Please fill out this application if you are interested in the job.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complete, fill in, populate

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To have one's physique expand with maturity or with surplus weight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • He began to fill out once he started college.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To fill up; to make full.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fill, out.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

become round, plump, or shapely

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The young woman is fleshing out

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: round, flesh out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gain, put on

6

verb

Meaning 6

make bigger or better or more complete

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: round out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enrich

7

verb

Meaning 7

write all the required information onto a form

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • fill out this questionnaire, please!
  • make out a form

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complete, fill in, make out

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

make fat or plump

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We will plump out that poor starving child

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fatten, fat, flesh out, plump, plump out, fatten out, fatten up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

9

verb

Meaning 9

line or stuff with soft material

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • pad a bra

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pad

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stuff

Narrower terms: rat

10

verb

Meaning 10

supplement what is thought to be deficient

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He eked out his meager pay by giving private lessons
  • Braque eked out his collages with charcoal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eke out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: supplement

History

Etymology

In the sense of to complete a form, originally attested in American English; possibly as a calque of German ausfüllen. Later spread to British English, where it now competes with the traditional expression fill in.

Across languages

Translations

86 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَلَأَ (malaʔa) — to complete a form
  • Armenian: լրացնել (lracʻnel) — to complete a form
  • Belarusian: запаўня́ць (zapawnjácʹ) — to complete a form
  • Belarusian: запо́ўніць (zapównicʹ) — to complete a form
  • Bulgarian: попъ́лвам (popǎ́lvam) — to complete a form
  • Bulgarian: попъ́лня (popǎ́lnja) — to complete a form
  • Burmese: ဖြည့် (hprany.) — to complete a form
  • Chinese Cantonese: 填 (tin4) — to complete a form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 填 (tián) — to complete a form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 填寫 /填写 (tiánxiě) — to complete a form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 記入 /记入 (jìrù) — to complete a form
  • Czech: vyplňovat — to complete a form
  • Czech: vyplnit — to complete a form
  • Dutch: invullen — to complete a form
  • Esperanto: plenigi — to complete a form
  • Estonian: täitma — to complete a form
  • Finnish: täyttää lomake — to complete a form
  • French: remplir — to complete a form
  • French: compléter — to complete a form
  • German: ausfüllen — to complete a form
  • German: eintragen — to complete a form
  • Greek: συμπληρώνω (sympliróno) — to complete a form
  • Hebrew: הִשְׁלִים (hishlím) — to complete a form
  • Hindi: भरना (bharnā) — to complete a form
  • Hungarian: kitölt — to complete a form
  • Irish: scríobh — to complete a form
  • Italian: compilare — to complete a form
  • Japanese: 書き込む (kakikomu) — to complete a form
  • Japanese: 記入する (kinyū suru) — to complete a form
  • Japanese: 埋める (umeru) — to complete a form
  • Khmer: បំពេញ (bɑmpɨñ) — to complete a form
  • Korean: 기입하다 (giiphada) — to complete a form
  • Kyrgyz: толтуруу (tolturuu) — to complete a form
  • Macedonian: пополнува (popolnuva) — to complete a form
  • Macedonian: пополни (popolni) — to complete a form
  • Norman: remplyi — to complete a form
  • Persian: پر کردن (por kardan) — to complete a form
  • Polish: wypełniać — to complete a form
  • Polish: wypełnić — to complete a form
  • Portuguese: preencher — to complete a form
  • Russian: заполня́ть (zapolnjátʹ) — to complete a form
  • Russian: запо́лнить (zapólnitʹ) — to complete a form
  • Serbo-Croatian: попуња́вати — to complete a form
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀пунити — to complete a form
  • Serbo-Croatian: popunjávati — to complete a form
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòpuniti — to complete a form
  • Slovak: vypĺňať — to complete a form
  • Slovak: vyplniť — to complete a form
  • Slovene: izpolnjevati — to complete a form
  • Slovene: izpolniti — to complete a form
  • Spanish: rellenar — to complete a form
  • Spanish: cumplimentar — to complete a form
  • Spanish: cabalear — to complete a form
  • Spanish: requisitar — to complete a form
  • Swahili: jaza — to complete a form
  • Swedish: fylla i — to complete a form
  • Thai: กรอก (grɔ̀ɔk) — to complete a form
  • Turkish: doldurmak — to complete a form
  • Ukrainian: запо́внювати (zapóvnjuvaty) — to complete a form
  • Ukrainian: заповня́ти (zapovnjáty) — to complete a form
  • Ukrainian: запо́внити (zapóvnyty) — to complete a form
  • Urdu: بھرنا (bharnā) — to complete a form
  • Urdu: پر کرنا (pur karnā) — to complete a form
  • Vietnamese: điền vào — to complete a form
  • Vietnamese: ghi vào — to complete a form
  • Armenian: լցվել (lcʻvel) — to have one's physique expand
  • Bulgarian: напълнявам (napǎlnjavam) — to have one's physique expand
  • Bulgarian: напълнея (napǎlneja) — to have one's physique expand
  • Dutch: dikkerworden — to have one's physique expand
  • Finnish: lihoa — to have one's physique expand
  • Finnish: pyöristyä — to have one's physique expand
  • French: se fortifier — to have one's physique expand
  • French: forcir — to have one's physique expand
  • French: empâter — to have one's physique expand
  • German: zulegen — to have one's physique expand
  • German: zunehmen — to have one's physique expand
  • Hebrew: הִתְמַלֵּא (hitmalé) — to have one's physique expand
  • Hungarian: kitelik — to have one's physique expand
  • Italian: ingrassare — to have one's physique expand
  • Italian: riempirsi — to have one's physique expand
  • Polish: zaokraglić — to have one's physique expand
  • Portuguese: encorpar — to have one's physique expand
  • Russian: расширя́ться (rasširjátʹsja) — to have one's physique expand
  • Russian: расши́риться (rasšíritʹsja) — to have one's physique expand
  • Spanish: engordar — to have one's physique expand
  • Spanish: crecer — to have one's physique expand