cramped
1 Americanadjective
adjective
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confined or severely limited in space.
cramped closets.
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(of handwriting) with characters written small and crowded together.
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(of a style of writing) hard to understand; crabbed.
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adjective
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closed in; restricted
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(esp of handwriting) small and irregular; difficult to read
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cramped1
First recorded in 1670–80; cramp 1 + -ed 3
Origin of cramped2
Explanation
A place that's cramped is uncomfortably small or crowded, like a cramped elevator with one too many riders or a cramped subway car at rush hour. This adjective comes from the verb cramp, "to restrict." When you're in a cramped situation, your movement is restricted in some way, often because there are too many people standing too close together, or simply because the space is too small. You might have a bedroom all to yourself, but if it's the size of a closet, you'll still feel cramped in there.
Vocabulary lists containing cramped
Lesson 11
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Words to Describe Places
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Long space missions can force small crews to endure isolation, cramped living conditions, and intense psychological pressure for months at a time.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
For a time after his death, Hwang returned daily to leave a cup of coffee "at the cramped table where he never got to sit".
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
These men and women, some of the most caring people I have met, are confined in cramped cells and sleep on floor mats in blistering heat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
She recalls traveling on a tight budget and staying in a tiny Holiday Inn Express room in Hong Kong—where one creditor was based—that was so cramped she struggled to open her suitcase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
It was only after another half-hour that we dared give the all clear to nine cramped and shaky people.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
