crowded
Americanadjective
-
filled to excess; packed.
-
filled with a crowd.
crowded streets.
-
uncomfortably close together.
crowded passengers on a bus.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of crowded
Explanation
Places that are crowded are packed with people. During rush hour, you might decide not to get onto a crowded subway car, but wait for the next one, hoping it will be less crowded. Rock concerts are often crowded, and sometimes classrooms are so crowded with students that it makes the teacher's job harder. Tokyo is a crowded city, especially compared to Dubuque, Iowa, and shopping malls generally become crowded on the weekend before Christmas. These places are all crowded with people, but you could also say that a field is crowded with cows or your friend's house is crowded with cats. The Old English root is crudan, "to press."
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.
However, space is already getting crowded, and launching thousands of large orbital data centers would accelerate this issue.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
The study did not assess cause, but the authors suggested the increased intensity of elite football and crowded match calendars might be factors.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
KFC on Monday said the menu changes were “centered around boneless chicken” and that the move was intended to help it stand out in an “increasingly crowded category.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
When Kevin Warsh makes his first major appearance as Federal Reserve chairman Wednesday, he’s going to be stepping on to a crowded stage.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
Mismatched furniture, MotorTrend magazines, and remote controls crowded the living room.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
