to the brim

Meanings

prepositional phrase

figurativelyTo the point of being full, almost overflowing.
The van was stuffed to the brim with camping equipment.
4 more examples
Near-synonyms: brimful (adjective), brimfully (adverb); see also Thesaurus:to the full
With an own goal, two penalties and two red cards, this match was full to the brim with controversy.
The full measure of life and happiness which we have in mind as the educational goal can only be attained when each individual life is full to the brim.
1898, The Popular Science Monthly, volume 53, page 159
We've had so much luck here, it's been effortless,” LeMay said as she rested on the shopping cart full to the brim with gifts […]
2009 November 28, Nashua Telegraph
Synonyms: brimful, brimfully, all the way, from soup to nuts, in excelsis, to the backbone, to the bone, to the core
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see to, brim.
Fill the glass to the brim, please.
1 more example
Like the tank wagons, the churns are dairy property, but farmers often have other ideas, and find their own uses for them—it has not been unknown for dairy inspectors to find missing churns tucked away in an unsuspected corner of a farmhouse, filled to the brim with banknotes!
1959 March, R. C. Riley, “Home with the milk”, in Trains Illustrated, page 155

prepositional phraseTo the point of being full, almost overflowing.

Also see

Bulgarian изцяло

Finnish piripintaan

French à ras bord, au ras bord

German randvoll, bis zum Rand (e)

Greek μέχρι τα μπούνια

Italian fino all'orlo

Polish pełny

Russian до краёв

Cite this entry

APA

to the brim. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to%20the%20brim

MLA

“to the brim.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to%20the%20brim. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “to the brim,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to%20the%20brim.