overcrowd

American

[oh-ver-kroud] / ˌoʊ vərˈkraʊd /

verb (used with or without object)

to crowd to an uncomfortable or undesirable excess.

overcrowd British

/ ˌəʊvəˈkraʊd /

verb

(tr) to fill (a room, vehicle, city, etc) with more people or things than is desirable

"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

Etymology

Origin of overcrowd

First recorded in 1760–70; over- + crowd ¹

Vocabulary lists containing overcrowd

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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.

You want all of the toppings and additions to highlight the rice, not overcrowd or overwhelm it.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2025

However, operators often flout safety rules and overcrowd them beyond capacity.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2024

“I don’t even know if it’s possible to overcrowd your way into buying a house anywhere in L.A. when every house is $1 million,” Fulton said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2022

Working in batches, if needed, so as to not overcrowd the pan, place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, and sear until nicely browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2022

The Louvre could not contain the portraits of your ancestors, they would overcrowd the quays.

From Vautrin by Balzac, Honoré de

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023