fully
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /fˈʊli/
US
- /ˈfʊli/
Description
- Completely
- entirely
- all the way
- in every part
To do something "fully" means to do it completely, with nothing important missing. It often shows that something has reached the highest degree or the final stage. You might fully understand an idea after thinking about it for a long time, or fully enjoy a quiet evening when you let yourself be present in the moment. Sometimes "fully" simply adds the idea of completion: a fully charged phone, a fully booked hotel, or someone who is fully dressed and ready to leave. It points to a result that is complete, not partial.
Think of filling a glass with water. If it reaches the brim, it is full. That same sense appears in "fully": not halfway, not mostly, but all the way. The word often appears when describing readiness ("I was fully prepared"), states ("The room was fully decorated"), or awareness ("He was fully aware of the risks").
"Fully" is an adverb that shows completeness. It tells you that something is done all the way, reaches the whole amount, or is true in every important part. For example, if someone explains the instructions fully, they do not leave out key details. If a person has fully recovered, their recovery is complete. If a hotel is fully booked, there are no rooms left.
The word can describe actions, states, and levels. Someone can fully understand a warning, fully support a plan, or fully accept the truth. A room can be fully furnished. A battery can be fully charged. A person can be fully awake, fully dressed, or fully ready. In each case, the idea is the same: nothing important is lacking.
It is also common when people want to be clear or strong. A doctor might say a patient is fully recovered. A teacher may want students to fully understand a lesson. Someone might say, "I fully agree," to show complete agreement. In more formal writing, it can appear in phrases like "fully effective" or "fully enforceable," where it adds a sense of completeness and certainty.
In everyday English, "fully" often adds emphasis, but it is not just extra decoration. It tells the listener that the action, feeling, or condition is complete. So whether you are fully prepared, fully aware, fully involved, or fully committed, the word gives the sense of going all the way rather than stopping somewhere in the middle.
Examples
- 1
Phone battery
Make sure your phone is fully charged before you leave.
- 2
Hotel booking
The hotel is fully booked this weekend.
- 3
Waking up
I'm not fully awake yet, so I need some coffee.
- 4
Risk awareness
She was fully aware of the risks before she signed the contract.
- 5
System status
The new system is not fully operational yet.
- 6
Strong agreement
I fully agree with your decision.
- 7
Recovery
He never fully recovered after the accident.
- 8
Explanation
The reasons for the delay were never fully explained.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- fullyadverb