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full house

B2
UK/ˌfʊl ˈhaʊs/US/ˌfʊl ˈhaʊs/

Neutral to informal

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

A situation where a place, especially a theatre, event venue, or other performance space, is filled to capacity with no empty seats.

A situation of maximum attendance, capacity, or completeness; in card games (poker), a hand containing three of a kind and a pair.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Most commonly refers to audiences and events. The poker meaning is domain-specific but widely known. Can be used metaphorically for any situation reaching full capacity or ideal attendance.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Usage is identical in both varieties. The poker term is universal.

Connotations

Positive connotation of success, popularity, and a lively atmosphere.

Frequency

Slightly more common in UK English in theatre/performance contexts, but equally understood.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
play to aperform to aa completea veritableattract a
medium
guarantee ahope for acelebrate aannounce a
weak
manage asecure adream of a

Grammar

Valency Patterns

The theatre had a full house.They played to a full house.It was a full house last night.

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

standing room onlysold out

Neutral

sell-outcapacity crowdpacked house

Weak

well-attendedcrowdedfull

Vocabulary

Antonyms

empty housepoor turnoutsparse crowdhalf-empty

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “A full house is a happy house (theatre saying).”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Rare, except for event management ('The conference had a full house').

Academic

Rare.

Everyday

Common for describing concerts, shows, lectures, or sports events.

Technical

Specific term in poker.

Examples

By Part of Speech

noun

British English

  • The comedian was delighted to see a full house at the Hammersmith Apollo.
  • On the final night, they achieved a full house.

American English

  • The band played to a full house at Madison Square Garden.
  • He looked out from the stage at a full house.

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • The cinema was a full house for the new superhero film.
B1
  • The local theatre has a full house almost every weekend for this play.
B2
  • Despite the bad weather, the charity concert attracted a full house, much to the organisers' relief.
C1
  • The speaker, though controversial, consistently draws a full house, underscoring the public's appetite for provocative debate.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a HOUSE (theatre) that is completely FULL of people.

Conceptual Metaphor

SUCCESS IS FULLNESS / POPULARITY IS A FULL CONTAINER.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Do not translate literally as 'полный дом' for the event meaning. Use 'аншлаг' or 'полный зал'. The poker term is 'фулл-хаус'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'full home'. Using it for non-audience contexts (e.g., 'a full house of groceries'). Confusing with 'full house' as a type of residential building.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
For the premiere, the director's greatest hope was to have a on opening night.
Multiple Choice

In which context is 'full house' LEAST likely to be used?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, informally. e.g., 'We had a full house for the final revision lecture.'

Yes, commonly for stadiums and arenas. e.g., 'The derby match was played to a full house.'

They are often synonyms. 'Sell-out' emphasizes all tickets being sold, while 'full house' emphasizes the visual of the venue being full. A 'sell-out' should lead to a 'full house', but delays could mean empty seats despite sold tickets.

It functions as a noun phrase, but can be used attributively before another noun (e.g., 'a full-house crowd'). It is not a standard adjective.