Fulfilled
adj.joyful, hopefulwarm
What it means
Feeling satisfied because one's abilities or purpose are used well.
Reach for it when describing deep satisfaction from using one's abilities or living with purpose
She felt fulfilled after teaching her first literacy class.
Choose between these
6- everyday
needs or expectations have been adequately met
not when Satisfied can be temporary and lacks a sense of purpose.
- warm
quiet acceptance and enoughness are central
not when Contentment may require no achievement or active calling.
- professional
clear meaning directs a person's actions
not when Purposeful describes orientation, not the resulting satisfaction.
- formal
a particular outcome brings welcome satisfaction
not when Gratified is usually briefer and more event-specific.
- formal
self-realized
a person's capacities have developed into lived expression
not when Self-realized is theoretical and can sound self-congratulatory.
- literary
the feeling is one of wholeness
not when Calling a person complete can imply that growth has ended.
Said against
4- unfulfilled
- dissatisfied
- empty
- frustrated
It naturally appears in
3- feel fulfilled
She began to feel fulfilled after mentoring new nurses.
- personally fulfilled
He felt personally fulfilled by the literacy project.
- fulfilled life
A fulfilled life can still include uncertainty and change.
The word family
2Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: satisfied through achievement or purpose opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.