packed
Americanadjective
-
filled to capacity; full.
They've had a packed theater for every performance.
-
pressed together; dense; compressed.
packed snow.
-
abundantly supplied with a specified element (used in combination).
an action-packed movie.
adjective
-
completely filled; full
a packed theatre
-
(of a picnic type of meal) prepared and put in a container or containers beforehand; prepacked
a packed lunch
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of packed
Explanation
Anything that's packed is either tightly compressed or extremely crowded, like the packed auditorium during your school's annual talent show. Use this adjective for things that are squeezed or pressed together, like a packed snowball or a packed cup of brown sugar. It's also useful for talking about overcrowded spaces of any kind, from a packed house at your band's show to a packed calendar that leaves you no time to catch up on your favorite TV show. A packed suitcase, on the other hand, is ready to go but not necessarily overstuffed.
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.
Earlier this year, Hilton and Bianco topped the governor’s race polls as a packed field of Democrats split many of the state’s liberal voters.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Exhaustion was setting in, but the deodorant I’d packed needed to be replaced, so I found myself roaming the body care aisles, wincing under the fluorescent lights as my patience rapidly grew thinner.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
She packed her bags and moved to Manhattan, where she now says she has had the perfect opportunity to really “connect” with herself.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
Rail bosses have urged people heading to this year's Download Festival to travel light following reports metal fans tried to board last year with wheelie bins packed full of beer.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
In exchange for garbage dump treasures, Clare provided the rat with mushrooms, freshly chopped and packed from his garden.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
