cram

¹

[kram]

verb (used with object)

crammed, cramming 

1. to fill (something) by force with more than it can easily hold.

   Synonyms: overcrowd, compress, squeeze, pack, crowd

2. to force or stuff (usually followed by into, down, etc.).

3. to fill with or as with an excessive amount of food; overfeed.

   Synonyms: glut

4. Informal.

   1. to prepare (a person), as for an exam, by having them memorize information within a short period of time.

   2. to acquire knowledge of (a subject) by so preparing oneself.

5. Archaic.,  to tell lies to.

verb (used without object)

crammed, cramming 

1. to eat greedily or to excess.

   Synonyms: gorge

2. to study for an examination by memorizing facts at the last minute.

3. to press or force accommodation in a room, vehicle, etc., beyond normal or comfortable capacity; crowd; jam.

   The whole team crammed into the bus.

noun

1. Informal.,  the act of preparing for an exam by memorizing information within a short time period.

2. an excessively full state.

3. a dense crowd; throng.

Cram

²

[kram]

noun

1. Ralph Adams, 1863–1942, U.S. architect and writer.

cram

¹

/ kræm /

verb

1. (tr) to force (people, material, etc) into (a room, container, etc) with more than it can hold; stuff

2. to eat or cause to eat more than necessary

3. informal,  to study or cause to study (facts, etc), esp for an examination, by hastily memorizing

noun

1. the act or condition of cramming

2. a crush

Cram

²

/ kræm /

noun

1. Steve. born 1960, English middle-distance runner: European 1500 m champion (1981, 1986); world 1500 m champion (1983)

Other Word Forms

• crammingly adverb
• well-crammed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cram¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crammen, Old English crammian “to stuff,” akin to crimman “to put in”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cram¹

Old English crammian; related to Old Norse kremja to press

Example Sentences

In fact, an examination found it was so crammed full of furniture, it was half a tonne over its permitted weight.

Read more on BBC

While mostly eschewing texts in favor of audio and visual storytelling, exhibits are crammed into too small a space.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Queues snaked around street corners and card payments failed, forcing people to queue for cash and cram on to buses as other transport systems were not running.

Read more on BBC

Thousands of fans crammed into stands that towered above the players, with music blaring and European fans welcoming each player on to the tee with their own unique song.

Read more on BBC

The UN says that more than two million Palestinians are now being told to cram into just 13% of the total Gaza Strip.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• crowd 
• load 
• overcrowd 
• pack 
• ram 
• shove 
• squeeze 
• stuff 
• wedge