throng
Americannoun
-
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)
verb (used with object)
-
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
Related Words
See crowd 1.
Other Word Forms
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.
The throng of reporters camped out around Tucson is beginning to thin.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
As midnight nears with the party in full swing, the waitress joins the throng on the dancefloor, swept up by the tunes -- until a power cut brings the music to a halt.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
Strong left his office and joined the jubilant throng outside where attorneys, brokers, bankers and clerks joined in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” over and over again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
In a video taken by ICE investigator Ben Luhmann, Bovino can be seen among a throng of agents exiting their SUVs after being confronted by protesters at an intersection.
From Salon • Jan. 22, 2026
I race down the hall so I can catch a glimpse of El Jefe, surrounded by his throng of bodyguards and important people from his cabinet.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
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.
