jam-packed
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything that's jam-packed is as crowded or full as it can be. If you hate crowds, you'll want to avoid the jam-packed shopping malls around Christmas time. A subway car in Tokyo at rush hour is jam-packed, while a bus in a small village in Germany may have only a few passengers. And a dull day in traffic court will be sparsely attended, but during a dramatic celebrity trial the courthouse is bound to be jam-packed. This adjective is informal, dating from about the turn of the twentieth century. Earlier it was jam-full — both come from the "squeeze into a space" sense of jam.
Vocabulary lists containing jam-packed
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.
These small, cupboard-like "sheds" are usually jam-packed with home-baked goods that you help yourself to, and for which you are trusted to pay through an honesty box system.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
“Beverly Hills has become a little jam-packed with tourists, so West Hollywood has become the heart of L.A. in many ways.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Now, the bill’s main enemy is the clock and Congress’s jam-packed schedule this year.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
She two-stepped, line danced and dramatically collapsed to the floor - the set was jam-packed.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
The seventh grade hallway is already jam-packed with bodies and backpacks when I arrive.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
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.
