full house

noun

plural full houses

1

: a poker hand containing three of a kind and a pair see poker illustration

2

: a theater, concert hall, etc. that is completely filled with spectators

Nevertheless, Into Great Silence played to a full house for two months at one of the city's hippest independent movie theaters.

—Michael Boudway

Examples of full house in a Sentence

a singer performing before a full house

A hand with three kings and two tens is a full house.

Recent Examples on the Web

Break Their Home into Zones Though many of us choose to do a deep-clean every six months, Willis prefers to deep clean her home a bit more frequently, opting for a full house clean every three to four months. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025

Wearing a delicate all-white ensemble, Sanchez was all power and precision, her performance triggering fireworks, confetti and a standing ovation from a full house. —Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025

Addressing the audience after performing the song cycle, DiDonato, a Kansas City native who makes her debut with the Minnesota Orchestra this week, gushed about the full house for an 11 a.m. performance. —Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025

Wilson drew a full house at the 800-seat CMA Theater, underscoring the strong public interest in her evolving image and artistry. —Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for full house

• alehouse
• almshouse
• backhouse
• baghouse
• bakehouse
• bathhouse
• bauhaus
• blockhouse
• boathouse
• brewhouse
• bunkhouse
• clubhouse