cramped

¹ American  

[krampt] / kræmpt /

adjective

1. affected with a cramp in a muscle or muscles.

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cramped ² American  

[krampt] / kræmpt /

adjective

1. confined or severely limited in space.

   cramped closets.

2. 1. (of handwriting) with characters written small and crowded together.

   2. (of a style of writing) hard to understand; crabbed.

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cramped British  

/ kræmpt /

adjective

1. closed in; restricted

2. (esp of handwriting) small and irregular; difficult to read

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Other Word Forms

• crampedness noun

Etymology

Origin of cramped¹

First recorded in 1670–80; cramp ¹ + -ed ³

Origin of cramped²

First recorded in 1670–80; cramp ² + -ed ²

Example Sentences

The pair, who live in a cramped studio apartment in a crumbling colonial-era building, can’t afford butter or mayonnaise, so breakfast is a piece of plain bread.

From Los Angeles Times

Lots of the scenes take place in cramped elevators and bank vaults.

From BBC

She and her husband lived about a mile and a half from the Beje, outside the cramped old center of the city.

From Literature

After a cold, cramped wait that seemed to last forever, Renn gave him a kick and told him to move.

From Literature

The door was propped open, and the humid air and the scent of lye hit me even before I entered the cramped space of the service room.

From Literature

Related Words

• crowded
• narrow
• packed
• small
• tiny