jam-packed
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything that's jam-packed is as crowded or full as it can be. If you hate crowds, you'll want to avoid the jam-packed shopping malls around Christmas time. A subway car in Tokyo at rush hour is jam-packed, while a bus in a small village in Germany may have only a few passengers. And a dull day in traffic court will be sparsely attended, but during a dramatic celebrity trial the courthouse is bound to be jam-packed. This adjective is informal, dating from about the turn of the twentieth century. Earlier it was jam-full — both come from the "squeeze into a space" sense of jam.
Vocabulary lists containing jam-packed
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.
We have seen all 48 teams in action across three countries over a jam-packed seven days, with 75 goals scored and a smattering of upsets, individual brilliance and controversy.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
“Beverly Hills has become a little jam-packed with tourists, so West Hollywood has become the heart of L.A. in many ways.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Now, the bill’s main enemy is the clock and Congress’s jam-packed schedule this year.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
She two-stepped, line danced and dramatically collapsed to the floor - the set was jam-packed.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
I notice something else: his cupboards are jam-packed.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
