World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesBurst at the seams
/bɜːst ət ðə siːmz/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To be extremely full, crowded, or packed to maximum capacity.
"The small museum is bursting at the seams with rare artifacts from the ancient world." - 2
To be filled to the point of breaking or overflowing with emotion, enthusiasm, or activity.
"After months of planning, the community center was bursting at the seams with excitement on opening night."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Originating from literal tailoring and garment construction, the phrase reflects a state where too much volume or pressure is placed inside a piece of clothing, causing the stitched seams to break. By the 19th century, the expression extended metaphorically to describe places, containers, or organizations overflowing with contents, people, or energy beyond their intended capacity.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Burst at the seams"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Burst at the seams" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
être plein à craquer
Transliteration: ɛtʁə plɛ̃ a kʁake
"Le stade est plein à craquer pour le match final."
aus allen Nähten platzen
Transliteration: aʊs ˈalən ˈnɛːtən ˈplatsən
"Die Stadt platzt während des Festivals aus allen Nähten."
scoppiare di salute
Transliteration: skoppiaːre di saluːte
Script: scoppiare alle cuciture
"L'autobus era così pieno che sembrava stesse scoppiando."
reventar por las costuras
Transliteration: reβenˈtaɾ poɾ las kosˈtuɾas
"El almacén está reventando por las costuras de tanta mercancía."
a arrebentar pelas costuras
Transliteration: a ʁeβeɾˈtɐ̃w̃ ˈpɛ.lɐʃ koʃˈtu.ɾɐʃ
"A escola está a arrebentar pelas costuras com tantos alunos novos."
खचाखच भरा होना
Transliteration: khachākhach bharā honā
"मेले में भीड़ इतनी थी कि मैदान खचाखच भरा हुआ था।"
挤得满满当当
Transliteration: jǐ de mǎn mǎn dāng dāng
"假期里的商场挤得满满当当，到处都是人。"
터져 나가다
Transliteration: teojyeo nagada
"도서관이 시험 기간이라 학생들로 터져 나갈 지경이다."
パンパンに詰まっている
Transliteration: panpan ni tsumatte iru
"その倉庫は荷物でパンパンに詰まっている。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
View all English termsThe cardinal number equivalent to the sum of ten and three.
A road that circles around a town or city to prevent traffic from entering the center.
Pressed firmly together or made dense by pressure, applied particularly to soil, earth, or granular materials.
Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Burst at the seams"
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