crowd
1 Americannoun
-
a large number of persons gathered closely together; throng.
a crowd of angry people.
-
any large number of persons.
-
any group or set of persons with something in common.
The restaurant attracts a theater crowd.
-
Opening night drew a good crowd.
-
the common people; the masses.
He feels superior to the crowd.
- Synonyms:
- populace, plebeians, proletariat
-
a large number of things gathered or considered together.
-
Sociology. a temporary gathering of people responding to common stimuli and engaged in any of various forms of collective behavior.
verb (used without object)
-
crowds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crowded,
past participle, past
-
crowding
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
crowds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crowded,
past participle, past
-
crowding
present participle
-
to press closely together; force into a confined space; cram.
to crowd clothes into a suitcase.
-
to fill to excess; fill by pressing or thronging into.
-
to place under pressure or stress by constant solicitation.
to crowd a debtor for payment; to crowd someone with embarrassing questions.
idioms
noun
noun
-
a large number of things or people gathered or considered together
-
a particular group of people, esp considered as a social or business set
the crowd from the office
-
-
the common people; the masses
-
( as modifier )
crowd ideas
-
-
to conform with the majority
verb
-
(intr) to gather together in large numbers; throng
-
(tr) to press together into a confined space
-
(tr) to fill to excess; fill by pushing into
-
informal (tr) to urge or harass by urging
-
nautical to hoist as much sail as possible
noun
Grammar
See collective noun.
Usage
What is a basic definition of crowd? A crowd is a large group of people or an audience. Crowd also means to cram closely together. Crowd has several other senses as a noun and a verb. The word crowd can be used to describe any large group of people. Often, crowd is used to specifically mean that the people are standing close together. If a location has a large number of people in a small area, it is said to be crowded.
- Real-life examples: A protest often involves a crowd of angry people. Crowds are often broken up when they get too large and unruly. You are very likely to see huge crowds in large cities like Los Angeles or in popular amusement parks like Disney World.
- Used in a sentence: My sister got lost in the crowd of businesspeople boarding the subway car.
- Used in a sentence: We crowded around the trained monkey to watch it dance.
- Real-life examples: Musicians, circus performers, actors, and comedians perform in front of a crowd. Politicians often give speeches to a crowd. Every producer wants to attract a large crowd to a show so they make more money.
- Used in a sentence: She received a standing ovation from the crowd.
- Used in a sentence: I don’t really fit in with this artsy crowd.
- Used in a sentence: Twelve clowns crowded into the tiny car.
Synonym Usage
Crowd, multitude, swarm, throng refer to large numbers of people. Crowd suggests a jostling, uncomfortable, and possibly disorderly company: A crowd gathered to listen to the speech. Multitude emphasizes the great number of persons or things but suggests that there is space enough for all: a multitude of people at the market on Saturdays. Swarm as used of people is usually contemptuous, suggesting a moving, restless, often noisy, crowd: A swarm of dirty children played in the street. Throng suggests a company that presses together or forward, often with some common aim: The throng pushed forward to see the cause of the excitement.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
crowdsimple
-
crowdssimple
-
have crowdedperfect
-
has crowdedperfect
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am crowdingprogressive
-
are crowdingprogressive
-
is crowdingprogressive
-
have been crowdingperfect progressive
-
has been crowdingperfect progressive
Past
-
crowdedsimple
-
had crowdedperfect
-
was crowdingprogressive
-
were crowdingprogressive
-
had been crowdingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of crowd1
First recorded before 950; Middle English verb crouden, cruden, croden, Old English crūdan, crēodan “to press, hurry”; cognate with Middle Dutch crūden “to push,” Middle Low German krūden to annoy”
Origin of crowd2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English croud, crouth, from Welsh crwth; see also crwth
Explanation
A lot of people or things in a large group make up a crowd. The masses of performers with painted faces, big shoes, and squeaky noses filling up the streets during your town's annual clown parade can be described as a crowd of clowns. A crowd of people might gather for a party, concert, or demonstration, with the word crowd implying that there's something a little disorderly — noisy or unruly — about the group. Crowd can also mean "the mass of ordinary people," which is the way you're using the word when you say you want to "stand out from the crowd." You want to be seen as a distinct, individual person, rather than part of a larger mass of regular folks.
Vocabulary lists containing crowd
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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:
“Since I've been here, I've loved what the crowd brings,” said Tandy.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2026
Armitage’s appearance sparked a wave of excitement among the crowd, with students cheering and lining up for selfies with the young actor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026
Ansari and other members of the delegation spoke at a panel focused on the midterm elections, attracting a crowd that overflowed outside the "America Is All In" pavilion.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026
He crossed the finish line in Cardiff's Central Square just after 11:00 GMT, and was greeted by a crowd cheering him on before he was met by his husband, Arran Rees.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
“Just find me in the crowd, okay. That might help. Look at someone you know, instead of strangers.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
He said that despite busy crowds and dry weather during the opening weekend, people appeared more cautious about spending than in previous years.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
Now he finds himself playing at a home ground synonymous with goodbyes, where so many greats of the game have taken their last bow, while Surrey attract comfortably the biggest crowds in county cricket.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Unknown to the public just four years ago, the 63-year-old recently emerged as a powerful public entrepreneur, drawing stadium crowds as he presented cutting-edge components essential to the development of AI tools like ChatGPT.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
Huang, the Nvidia CEO typically clad in a black leather jacket, has been celebrated in Taiwan, his every move followed by crowds of fans with a level of fervor dubbed “Jensanity.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
The fair had officially opened by now, and crowds were growing thicker by the minute.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
He was addicted to working but he likewise craved the news, subscribing to journals, daily papers and two press-clipping services to track his position in the crowded world of contemporary art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
And last year’s best picture winner, “One Battle After Another,” was “another feather in Pam’s very crowded hat.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Streets emptied, shops lowered their shutters and neighbours crowded around TV sets.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
But as you scan the crowded parking lot, a frustrating question comes to mind.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
But now, in the freezing dawn, doubts crowded in.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
"Everyone was crowding around the corner in the art room. That's when I thought I might be onto something."
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Actor D’Arcy Carden stopped by early, beating the cadre of guests crowding the main plaza beneath the now-famous oculus of the 300,000-square-foot Ma Yansong-designed building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
But soaring surpluses with several key trading partners has also become a political issue, as officials overseas argue that waves of Chinese imports are crowding out local competition.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
But for the country’s counterparts—Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain—tourism is the focus of protests by locals because overtourism is driving up the cost of living and crowding them out of their homes.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
All the people crowding the library cupped hands to their ears as the whistling stretched on far longer than the cousins expected.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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