cram

[ kram ]

/ kræm /

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See synonyms for cram on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), crammed, cram·ming.

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.

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), crammed, cram·ming.

to eat greedily or to excess.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR cram

1 crowd, pack, squeeze, compress, overcrowd.

3 glut.

6 gorge.

See synonyms for cram on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cram

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

OTHER WORDS FROM cram

cram·ming·ly, adverbwell-crammed, adjective

Words nearby cram

Craigavon, Craigie, Craiova, crake, crakow, cram, crambo, cram course, Cramer's rule, cram-full, crammer

Other definitions for cram (2 of 2)

Cram

[ kram ]

/ kræm /

noun

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cram in a sentence

Collins said that most of her knowledge is from “here and there,” so there was no need to cram before the tournament.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush|Sujay Kumar|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Families of four and five cram into one-room shares without running water or reliable electricity.
The Young Girls Escaping the ISIS War|Chandra Kellison|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Workers cram into company-owned dorms known as “man camps” or in trailers or tents.
Montana’s Real-Life Walter White|Michael Daly|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If you cram that many scantily-clad people onto a beach in hot weather, things are likely to get ugly at some point.
U.S. Open of Surfing Turns Into Riot|Mark Lukach|July 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Trying to cram that down into 250 words is fun and challenging.
William Breathes on Being America’s First Marijuana Critic|Melissa Leon|April 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is simpler than having to cram and then stand the racket of a competitive examination.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
Still he clung to the little thistledown of hope that he should have plenty of time to cram it before the form were called up.
Eric, or Little by Little|Frederic W. Farrar
They cram as much fruit as they possibly can into their cheek pouches to take away and eat afterwards at their leisure.
The Animal Story Book|Various
It would indeed be unreasonable to cram into a single genus both superior and inferior things.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)
And the speaker subsided into thoughtful silence, and began slowly to cram his pipe.
Forging the Blades|Bertram Mitford

British Dictionary definitions for cram (1 of 2)

cram

/ (kræm) /

verb crams, cramming or crammed

(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

Word Origin for cram

Old English crammian; related to Old Norse kremja to press

British Dictionary definitions for cram (2 of 2)

Cram

/ (kræm) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cram

OTHER WORDS FOR cram

Origin of cram

OTHER WORDS FROM cram

Words nearby cram

Other definitions for cram (2 of 2)

Words related to cram

How to use cram in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cram (1 of 2)

Word Origin for cram

British Dictionary definitions for cram (2 of 2)