brimming

Brimming is the present participle of the verb brim and is also used as an adjective to describe something that is full to the edge or overflowing. In a literal sense, a container or surface is brimming when its contents fill to the rim and may spill over. For example, a cup can be brimming with coffee, a bowl with soup, or a bucket after a heavy rain. The term can also describe something that is nearly at capacity or visibly full.

In figurative usage, brimming conveys abundance or intensity of a quality or feeling. A crowd can be brimming with excitement, a notebook can be brimming with notes, or a city can be brimming with activity. The construction “brimming with” is common in everyday speech, journalism, and literature, and it often appears with with to introduce the content causing the fullness.

Etymology and related terms: brimming derives from brim, the edge of a container or boundary. The verb brim means to fill up to the top, and the participle form brimming denotes this state. Related terms include brim, brimful (or brimful of), and phrases such as brim over.

Uses and nuances: brimming emphasizes imminent overflow when used literally and heightened intensity when used figuratively. It is generally neutral in tone, though it can carry a lively or vivid descriptive quality in prose.