full house

IPA/ˌfʊl ˈhaʊs/
IPA/ˌfʊl ˈhaʊs/

full house — noun

1. an event at which all available seats are taken by spectators, leaving no more t

1.nounB1
Definition

an event at which all available seats are taken by spectators, leaving no more tickets to buy.

Example

The theatre announced a full house for Mira's new musical, with tickets selling out quickly.

collocation: announce a full house

Despite the rain, the stadium had a full house for the local football final.

collocation: have a full house

Common collocations
  • announce a full house
  • have a full house
  • report a full house
  • play to a full house
  • full house of [number]
Synonyms
  • sold-out

    used as an adjective before the show/event, e.g. 'a sold-out concert'; 'full house' describes the audience situation

  • packed house

    more informal, emphasises the crowd's density rather than ticket sales

  • capacity crowd

    more formal; used especially in sports reporting

Antonyms
  • empty house

    very rare; more commonly 'sparse audience' or 'half-empty venue'

  • empty seats

    describes the visual of an under-attended event

Grammar Patterns

full house + of + number

play to + a full house

Usage Note

Often used in the theatre and live-event industry. Frequently follows verbs like 'announce', 'have', 'report', or 'play to'. Typically refers to a single event rather than a building.

Common Mistakes

The restaurant had a full house last night.
The restaurant was completely full last night.
'full house' is specific to ticketed venues like theatres and stadiums, not restaurants or homes.
There were full houses in every room.
There was a full house in the theatre.
'full house' is treated as a singular noun phrase even though 'house' is countable.

2. a poker hand made up of three matching cards and a separate pair — for instance,

2.nounB2
Definition

a poker hand made up of three matching cards and a separate pair — for instance, three queens and two eights. It ranks between a flush and a four of a kind.

Example

Andrei won the final hand with a full house, beating Justin's flush by a narrow margin.

collocation: win with a full house

A full house has three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.

definitional: consists of three of a kind and a pair

Common collocations
  • win with a full house
  • hold a full house
  • full house of [rank] and [rank]
Synonyms
  • full boat

    informal poker slang, synonymous but less common outside the US

  • truck

    very informal poker slang, rarely used in writing

Grammar Patterns

a full house + of + [rank] + and + [rank]

Usage Note

Only used in the context of poker or similar card games. When describing the specific ranks, the pattern is 'three [rank] and two [rank]', e.g. 'three kings and two fives'.

Common Mistakes

I got a full house of four aces.
I got a full house
three aces and two kings.' — a full house contains exactly three of one rank and two of another, never four of a kind.

Word family

  • packed house
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'full house' focuses on the fact that every seat is occupied for a performance or event, 'sold-out' is an adjective that emphasises ticket sales — a show can be sold-out even if some ticket holders do not attend. 'Packed house' is more informal and suggests the venue is extremely crowded, possibly beyond seating capacity. 'Capacity crowd' appears commonly in sports journalism and is more formal in tone. 'Standing room only' (often abbreviated SRO) means that even standing spaces are filled, going beyond a full house. For example: 'The band announced a full house for their London show, but the next night was standing room only.'

sold-outpacked housecapacity crowdstanding room only

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • announce a full house
  • have a full house
  • report a full house
  • a full house of [number]

Prepositions

  • play to a full house

Etymology

EnglishEnglish

The term 'full house' originated in 18th-century English theatre, where 'house' referred to the audience or the venue itself. A notice that the 'house was full' meant every seat was taken. The poker usage emerged in the mid-19th century in the United States during the rise of draw poker, borrowing the idea of 'completeness' from the theatrical sense.

First known use

1701

1701, in the meaning defined at sense 2