cram
verb (used with object)
to fill (something) by force with more than it can easily hold.
cram
1 American
[kram]
/ kræm /
verb (used with object)
-
crams,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crammed,
past participle, past
-
cramming
present participle
-
to fill (something) by force with more than it can easily hold.
-
to force or stuff (usually followed by into, down, etc.).
-
to fill with or as with an excessive amount of food; overfeed.
- Synonyms:
- glut
-
Informal.
-
to prepare (a person), as for an exam, by having them memorize information within a short period of time.
-
to acquire knowledge of (a subject) by so preparing oneself.
-
-
Archaic. to tell lies to.
verb (used without object)
-
crams,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crammed,
past participle, past
-
cramming
present participle
-
to eat greedily or to excess.
- Synonyms:
- gorge
-
to study for an examination by memorizing facts at the last minute.
-
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
-
Informal. the act of preparing for an exam by memorizing information within a short time period.
-
an excessively full state.
-
a dense crowd; throng.
Cram
2
American
[kram]
/ kræm /
noun
cram
1
British
/ kræm /
verb
-
(tr) to force (people, material, etc) into (a room, container, etc) with more than it can hold; stuff
-
to eat or cause to eat more than necessary
-
informal to study or cause to study (facts, etc), esp for an examination, by hastily memorizing
noun
-
the act or condition of cramming
-
a crush
Cram
2
British
/ kræm /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cramsimple
-
cramssimple
-
have crammedperfect
-
has crammedperfect
-
am crammingprogressive
-
are crammingprogressive
-
is crammingprogressive
-
have been crammingperfect progressive
-
has been crammingperfect progressive
Past
-
crammedsimple
-
had crammedperfect
-
was crammingprogressive
-
were crammingprogressive
-
had been crammingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cram
First recorded before 1000; Middle English crammen, Old English crammian “to stuff,” akin to crimman “to put in”
Explanation
To cram is to crowd or stuff people or things into a limited amount of space. You might be tempted to cram your mouth full of your mom's chocolate chip cookies, especially if they just came out of the oven and are still warm and gooey. You can cram yourself with food, or cram your books onto a shelf that's not quite big enough to hold them. A writer might cram one book with dozens of characters, or you could cram homemade pancakes with blueberries. Another way to cram is to study for a test all in one session: "I haven't studied at all yet — I'll have to stay up tonight and cram." The Old English root, crammian, means "stuff something into something else."
Vocabulary lists containing cram
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Out of the Dust
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Teeming Terms: Synonyms for "Full"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Parking doesn’t exist, so cars cram onto the sidewalk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
You don’t need to cram every beautiful thing into the same dinner merely because it came home in the same tote.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Some contestants take that as a challenge to cram as many ideas as possible into their allotted time.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
The fashion-magazine moment is long gone as Miranda deals with such alarming new trends as budget cuts, the imperative to cram her vision into annoying little video clips, and consumer sensitivity to sweatshop manufacturing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
“Every place of interest in the state. As many as we can cram into the semester.”
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
But, as BBC Sport curling commentator Steve Cram asked former world champion Jackie Lockhart, is it actually cheating and does it make a difference?
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
Communications director Christopher Cram has previously told The Washington Times the district cannot comment about pending litigation.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 23, 2023
Cram heads the department’s new Behavioral Health Unit, which was started late last year.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2023
"Sifan Hassan has done something that nobody could ever have expected," Steve Cram said.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2023
Mr. Cram has made a special study of the subject in connection with the magnificent architecture which these medieval monks developed, and which he would like to have our people appreciate and emulate.
From The Popes and Science The History of the Papal Relations to Science During the Middle Ages and Down to Our Own Time by James J. Walsh
Grubin, chief executive of product-sampling firm SoPost, said he’d rather have a functional room than one that crams all the bathroom stuff in a separate space.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
These missions are incredibly expensive, so Isobel crams in experiments night and day as the scientists work in 12-hour shifts.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2025
The influx crams even more people into one of Gaza’s most densely populated areas.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2023
Instead, it’s cultural window dressing while Vardalos crams in one more dull joke about Nick’s manscaping, Greek voodoo or Voula’s sauciness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
Garrett asks, as he crams his hands into those yellow cleaning gloves that squeak when you rub your fingers together.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Three rooms were crammed with plants growing behind tarpaulin screens under bright lights.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
The so-called diversified index funds are crammed with AI.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Slaughter, however, earned veteran approval long before any cameras were crammed in his face.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
"They are giving us pads but we don't have undergarments," said Tamang, whose family of 20 has been living in a crammed classroom.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
“How nicely we are all crammed in,” cried Lydia.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Smuggling gangs are taking greater risks than ever, with the number of people they are cramming into unseaworthy boats rising year on year."
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
“Meghan’s serving your insatiable thirst for dance-ready bops with the upbeat banger that is ‘Foolish,’” the release stated, cramming two bits of gay slang into one sentence.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
“It’s not like the campaign for governor, where cramming 10 candidates on a stage becomes a circus.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
If a public campaign were to be launched – it would have to be done carefully and strategically to avoid cramming too much information into the message while still informing the public.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026
Otto scampered here and there, seizing the fallen coils and cramming them into his mouth.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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.
