Meaning & use
jam
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A thick sweet food made by cooking fruit with sugar, usually spread on bread.
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the substance in general, countable for a particular type or jar: some jam, three jams.
Patterns
- jam on something
- a jar of jam
- make jam
She spread strawberry jam on her toast.
We bought three jars of homemade jam at the farm shop.
Do you want jam or honey on your bread?
nouncountable
A situation in which traffic or people are so crowded that movement is very difficult.
Grammar: Usually singular in this sense, often with 'traffic': a traffic jam.
Patterns
- a traffic jam
- be stuck in a jam
- get into a jam
We sat in a traffic jam for over an hour.
There was a real jam at the entrance when the doors opened.
nouncountableinformal
A difficult or awkward situation that is hard to escape from.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'in a jam'; informal but very common.
Patterns
- be in a jam
- get someone out of a jam
- help someone out of a jam
I'm in a bit of a jam — I've lost my keys and my wallet.
Thanks for getting me out of a jam yesterday.
verbtransitive
To push something forcefully into a space where it fits tightly or does not fit properly.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with 'into': jam the papers into the drawer.
Patterns
- jam something into something
- jam something in
- jam something together
He jammed his clothes into the suitcase and closed it.
Don't jam the plug in — it might break.
verbintransitive
To become stuck and unable to move or work properly.
Grammar: No object; often used of machines, doors, or printers that stop working.
Patterns
- something jams
- the printer jammed
- the door jammed
The printer jammed just before the meeting.
The window has jammed and I can't open it.
verbtransitivetechnical
To block a signal or stop something from being received or heard.
Grammar: Takes an object; used about radio, phone, or radar signals.
Patterns
- jam a signal
- jam communications
- jam the radio
The device can jam enemy radar signals.
Protesters tried to jam the station's broadcasts.
Word forms
| plural | jams |
|---|---|
| third person singular | jams |
| past tense | jammed |
| past participle | jammed |
| -ing form | jamming |
Common combinations
- traffic jam
- A traffic jam on the highway made us late.
- strawberry jam
- She made strawberry jam from the garden fruit.
- in a jam
- He's in a jam and needs our help.
- jam session
- The musicians had a late-night jam session.
- paper jam
- The copier showed a paper jam warning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jelly
- In American English, jelly is made only from strained fruit juice and is smooth, while jam contains crushed fruit.
- preserve
- A preserve usually has whole or large pieces of fruit and sounds more old-fashioned or formal than jam.
- marmalade
- Marmalade is a citrus spread, usually made from oranges, so it is not a general word for fruit jam.
Word family
Commonly confused: jam or jelly? jam or jamb?
jam vs jelly
In the US, jelly is clear and made from juice only, while jam has pieces of fruit; in the UK, jelly is a fruit-flavored dessert.
jam vs jamb
A jamb is the vertical side of a door or window frame, a completely different word with the same sound.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'jam' correctly to mean a difficult situation?
Choose one answer.
'In a jam' is the fixed phrase for a difficult situation, so option 2 fits. Option 1 uses the food sense, and options 3 and 4 use the verb senses.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jam”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.