full to the gills
Packed beyond capacity
Full to the gills means completely full, stuffed to capacity.
The phrase draws from fish anatomy—gills sit high on the body, so filled to that point means filled entirely.
It most often describes being stuffed with food: I couldn't eat another bite—I'm full to the gills.
It can also describe any container or space packed to maximum capacity.
- burstingBreaking from internal pressure
- repleteCompletely filled
- gorgedAte to excess
- crammedOverfilled or overstuffed
- packedFilled to capacity
packed like sardines · overstuffed · sated · overflowing · brimming · filled to capacity · satiated · overfed · fit to burst · bloated · teeming · sluggish · swollen · overfilled · jammed · laden · bulging · packed to the rafters