crowded
Americanadjective
-
filled to excess; packed.
-
filled with a crowd.
crowded streets.
-
uncomfortably close together.
crowded passengers on a bus.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of crowded
Explanation
Places that are crowded are packed with people. During rush hour, you might decide not to get onto a crowded subway car, but wait for the next one, hoping it will be less crowded. Rock concerts are often crowded, and sometimes classrooms are so crowded with students that it makes the teacher's job harder. Tokyo is a crowded city, especially compared to Dubuque, Iowa, and shopping malls generally become crowded on the weekend before Christmas. These places are all crowded with people, but you could also say that a field is crowded with cows or your friend's house is crowded with cats. The Old English root is crudan, "to press."
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.
Rebecca Onion declares that in a crowded field of summer romance series, this is the one that will stand the test of time.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
“When we first invested in early 2022, investors feared an escalating content arms race among a crowded field of streaming entrants,” Ackman and Israel recalled in the letter.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Cerebras Systems stock has had a wild ride in a crowded field.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Electric-aircraft startups are also pushing for the infrastructure their vehicles will need to take off, land and recharge in the crowded urban markets they expect to serve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The crowded streets reek of rotten fish, and it pains me to see Father limping again.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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.
