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Meaning & use

crowded

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈkraʊ.dɪd/
US/ˈkraʊ.dɪd/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Containing too many people or things in a space, so that there is little room to move.

    Grammar: Comparable: more crowded, most crowded; often followed by with: crowded with tourists.

    Patterns

    • crowded with something
    • a crowded place

    The train was so crowded that I had to stand all the way.

    Her small apartment felt crowded with five people in it.

    The beach is most crowded on public holidays.

  2. adjectivecomparablefigurative

    Having so many activities or events planned that there is no free time or space.

    Grammar: Used with words such as schedule, calendar or agenda: a crowded schedule.

    Patterns

    • a crowded schedule
    • a crowded calendar

    The minister has a crowded schedule this week.

    It was a crowded year, with two moves and a new job.

  3. adjectivebefore a nounbusiness

    Having so many competitors that it is hard to stand out or earn a profit.

    Grammar: Used before words such as market, field or race: a crowded market.

    Patterns

    • a crowded market
    • a crowded field

    The smartphone market is already crowded, so newcomers struggle.

    Eleven candidates entered the crowded race for mayor.

Word forms

comparativemore crowded
superlativemost crowded

Common combinations

crowded with tourists
The old square was crowded with tourists in July.
a crowded room
She waved to him across a crowded room.
crowded market
A crowded market makes it hard for small brands to be noticed.
crowded streets
We pushed through the crowded streets to reach the station.
crowded schedule
Despite a crowded schedule, the author answered every letter.
overly crowded
The cafe gets overly crowded at lunchtime.

Synonyms and how they differ

packed
Packed is informal and stronger than crowded, suggesting there is almost no space left.
congested
Congested is used for traffic and busy areas where movement is blocked, and sounds more official.
busy
Busy can describe activity without a lack of space, while crowded always means too many in a place.
overcrowded
Overcrowded means too crowded to be safe or comfortable, and is stronger than crowded.

Opposites

emptydesertedspacious

Word family

crowd noun
a large group of people in one place
crowd verb
to gather closely in large numbers
overcrowded adjective
holding more people than is comfortable or safe
overcrowding noun
the state of having too many people in one place
uncrowded adjective
not busy, with plenty of space

Commonly confused: crowded or crowd?

crowded vs crowd

Crowd is a noun or verb, so say a crowded bus, not a crowd bus. The ending -ed makes the adjective.

Practice

The bus was so ___ that nobody could find a seat.

Make it your own

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