fʊl əv biːnz
Food & Cooking
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- Filled with beans
What does "full of beans" mean?
- Full of energy and enthusiasm
- Lively and in high spirits
Examples
- The kids were full of beans after eating candy.
- She's always full of beans in the morning.
- Despite his age, he's still full of beans.
Origin
19th-century American expression, possibly referring to horses fed beans who became energetic. Later applied to people with lots of energy and enthusiasm.
How to use it
Positive, informal expression for energy. More common in British English but understood in North America.
Similar expressions
full of energy
lively
energetic
peppy
Opposites
tired
lethargic
sluggish
Related idioms
- piece of cake
Something very easy to do
- a piece of cake
Something very easy to do
- in a nutshell
In a very brief or concise form
- an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Eating fruit or having a healthy diet helps maintain good health
- bite off more than you can chew
To take on more responsibility or work than one can handle
- don't put all your eggs in one basket
Don't risk everything on a single opportunity
Use it in a practice answer
Try "full of beans" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.