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

I’m in a cramped examination room at a clinic in Panama City.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

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 • Mar. 22, 2026

In the video above, Fedigan takes The Wall Street Journal inside his workday, with stops at the scenic shop where Broadway sets are constructed and the cramped backstage of “Chicago” minutes before a performance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

When AFP visited, relatives of the missing packed into a local elder's cramped home, showing WhatsApp and Facebook groups filled with blurry images, unverified lists and rumours.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

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

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• crowded
• narrow
• packed
• small
• tiny