throng
Americannoun
-
throngs
plural
-
a multitude of people crowded or assembled together; crowd.
- Synonyms:
- assemblage, host, horde
-
a great number of things crowded or considered together.
a throng of memories.
-
Chiefly Scot. pressure, as of work.
verb (used without object)
-
throngs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thronged,
past participle, past
-
thronging
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
throngs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thronged,
past participle, past
-
thronging
present participle
-
to crowd or press upon; jostle.
-
to fill or occupy with or as with a crowd.
He thronged the picture with stars.
-
to bring or drive together into or as into a crowd, heap, or collection.
-
to fill by crowding or pressing into.
They thronged the small room.
adjective
-
filled with people or objects; crowded.
-
(of time) filled with things to do; busy.
noun
verb
-
to gather in or fill (a place) in large numbers; crowd
-
(tr) to hem in (a person); jostle
adjective
Synonym Usage
See crowd 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
throngsimple
-
throngssimple
-
have throngedperfect
-
has throngedperfect
-
am throngingprogressive
-
are throngingprogressive
-
is throngingprogressive
-
have been throngingperfect progressive
-
has been throngingperfect progressive
Past
-
throngedsimple
-
had throngedperfect
-
was throngingprogressive
-
were throngingprogressive
-
had been throngingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of throng
before 1000; (noun) Middle English; Old English gethrang; cognate with Dutch drang, German Drang pressure, Old Norse thrǫng throng; (adj. and v.) Middle English; akin to the noun; compare obsolete thring to press
Explanation
A throng is a crowd of people or animals. On the crowded platform, the throng of passengers attempted to push their way into the already overcrowded subway car. When used as a noun, throng means a tightly packed crowd of people or animals. As a verb, it means to push together or squeeze into an area. The science fiction movie fans thronged into the auditorium when they heard their favorite actor had entered the building. The word comes to us from the Middle English term meaning "push" or "force one's way," which is exactly what you'd have to do if you got stuck inside a throng of people.
Vocabulary lists containing throng
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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:
But even in this throng there were other voices too.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Former Manchester United and England captain Beckham, 51, told a throng of fans on the sun-kissed boulevard it was a "truly incredible moment."
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
At one point before the bombing, he arrives at the theater with a “hulking wheeled” army field kitchen to aid the cooks tasked with feeding the refugee throng.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
In years past, she said in a post on X, women would throng textile stores, giving a discerning touch to the fabric they would purchase for newlyweds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
A fierce murmur swam through the remaining crowd of spirits as they flooded onto the fifth floor ahead of Wick and his throng haints.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
But for the last seven years, the Flatiron has been shrouded in scaffolding, its Beaux-Arts exterior hidden from throngs of tourists who came to view it.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The throngs of teenagers doing back flips into the Canal Saint-Martin and playing soccer in the street set the mood for the week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia joined throngs of devotees waving Spanish and Vatican flags in Cibeles Square for a service filled with religious symbolism.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
The waters off the Indian Ocean coast where throngs of swimmers will soon congregate are home to the world’s three most-dangerous shark species.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
Ser Colen walked his horse slowly through the throngs, with Catelyn riding in his wake.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
There was much that was familiar about Burnham's speech in front of the famous black No 10 door, which was thronged with staffers and supporters.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In the summer, the area is thronged by fishermen drawn to Bristol Bay for the world’s largest sockeye salmon run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
What's different here from some years ago, though, is that the Europeans and Russians who once thronged Palolem and other beach villages of Goa are missing.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
Afterward, thousands of giddy fans thronged the malecón, Havana’s seaside promenade, laughing and drinking rum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
Suddenly, the breezeway thronged with teachers who began moving groups of kids in different directions, getting the flow of bodies aimed again in the natural pattern of traffic.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
In the capital Tehran, there was no sign of a return to conflict, with ordinary Iranians thronging cafes to watch the France-Spain World Cup semi-final in huge crowds, AFP journalists saw.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Taken on Saturday, it shows shoppers thronging to similar stalls in a northern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a column of black smoke rises ominously in the background.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2025
The area also symbolizes an inevitable truth about London: Without the thronging masses of tourists, and the attractions designed to amuse them, the city might disintegrate completely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2025
One of the most chaotic gatherings in the Christian calendar is the ancient ceremony of the “Holy Fire,” with worshipers thronging the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Saturday.
From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2024
“Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won’t they?” said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
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.
