What does brim mean?
A brim is the upper edge or rim of an open container — a cup, bowl, glass, or basin — and also the stiffened lower border of a hat that extends outward from its crown. Used as a verb, 'to brim' means to be filled right up to the edge, on the verge of spilling over, and it extends naturally to figurative uses: eyes can brim with tears, and a person can brim with enthusiasm, energy, or grief. This figurative flexibility gives the word a distinctly expressive quality, letting writers convey abundance or overwhelming emotion through a simple physical image. Common fixed phrases include 'filled to the brim,' which suggests generosity or excess, and 'brimming over,' which implies that fullness has become too great to contain. In fashion contexts, terms like 'wide-brimmed' or 'flat-brimmed' describe hat shapes. The word is standard in both British and American English and suits registers ranging from casual conversation to literary prose, making it a compact, vivid way to describe both physical edges and emotional overflow.
The projecting edge or rim of a container, such as a cup or bowl; also the stiff lower part of a hat extending outward around its base.
"She sipped the soup cautiously, careful not to let it reach the brim of the bowl."
Most commonly encountered in the phrase 'filled to the brim'; the hat sense often appears attributively, as in 'wide-brimmed.'
To be full to the point of overflowing, whether with liquid, light, or emotion; sometimes transitively, to fill a vessel to its very top.
"The stadium was brimming with excited fans long before kickoff."
Frequently figurative when applied to abstract qualities or feelings, e.g. 'brimming with confidence' or 'eyes brimming with tears.'
Standard plural; used chiefly when referring to multiple containers or multiple hats, though the singular is more idiomatic in most contexts.
"The waiter balanced three cups filled to their brims across one tray."
The word 'brimstone' literally means 'burning at the brim' — an old term for sulfur that burns along the edges of a flame.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brim
The noun 'brim' derives from Middle English 'brimme,' likely related to Old Norse 'barmr,' meaning bosom or edge, reflecting Scandinavian influence on northern English vocabulary. It has been used since medieval times for the edges of vessels and later extended to hats. The verb form developed from the noun, first meaning to fill to the edge and then, by extension, to overflow or swell with feeling. Related derivatives include 'brimful' and 'brimstone,' the latter an older compound referring to sulfur.
Related word forms
How brim is actually used
As a noun, 'brim' most often appears in the phrase 'filled/filled up to the brim,' which carries a sense of completeness or abundance. The verbal use is frequently figurative when applied to people ('brimming with confidence,' 'eyes brimming with tears'), lending an emotional, slightly literary tone. The hat sense is common in fashion and everyday speech. Register is neutral; the word works equally well in formal and informal writing.
Easily confused with brim
Brimstone is sulfur (or, biblically, fiery destruction), while brim refers to an edge or rim; the former merely contains 'brim' as an archaic element in its name.
'Brimmed' describes something having a brim (as in a wide-brimmed hat), whereas 'brim' itself is the edge or rim being referred to.