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Meaning & use

jammed

adjective, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/dʒæmd/
US/dʒæmd/

“jammed” is a form of “jam”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Stuck firmly in place so that it cannot move or work properly.

    Grammar: Used after a verb or before a noun: the door is jammed; a jammed drawer.

    Patterns

    • something is jammed
    • something gets jammed

    The printer is jammed again, so nobody can print the report.

    I pulled hard on the jammed window, but it would not open.

    A jammed zipper ruined her hurry to leave.

  2. adjectivecomparableinformal

    Completely full or crowded, with hardly any space left.

    Grammar: Often followed by with: the road was jammed with cars.

    Patterns

    • jammed with something
    • jammed with people

    The streets were jammed with shoppers on the last Saturday before the holiday.

    Her calendar is jammed with meetings until the end of the month.

    The switchboard was jammed after the announcement.

  3. verbtransitive or intransitive

    Past tense and past participle of jam: pushed something forcefully into a space, or made something stick.

    Grammar: With an object: he jammed the books into the bag; without one: the lock jammed.

    Patterns

    • jammed something into something
    • something jammed

    He jammed his hands into his pockets and hurried on.

    The gears jammed halfway through the lesson.

    Fans jammed the entrance long before the gates opened.

Common combinations

jammed with traffic
The highway was jammed with traffic after the accident.
a jammed door
Firefighters had to force a jammed door to get inside.
get jammed
The paper always gets jammed in this old copier.
jammed solid
The subway car was jammed solid at rush hour.
jammed switchboard
A jammed switchboard left callers on hold for an hour.

Synonyms and how they differ

stuck
Stuck is the broader everyday word for anything unable to move, while jammed suggests something wedged or blocked in a tight space.
packed
Packed describes a place filled with people or things, but jammed adds a feeling of discomfort or blockage.
blocked
Blocked means something cannot pass through, whereas jammed suggests that something is wedged in so that it will not budge.
crammed
Crammed stresses that too much has been forced into a space, while jammed can also describe something stuck or not working.

Opposites

freeemptyloose

Word family

jam verb
to force into a space or become stuck
jam noun
a blockage or a crowded mass, as in a traffic jam
jamming noun
the act of blocking or interfering
unjam verb
to free something that is stuck

Commonly confused: jammed or jam?

jammed vs jam

Jam is also the sweet fruit spread, which has nothing to do with being stuck; jammed always refers to blocking, crowding or forcing.

Practice

The road into the stadium was ______ cars an hour before the game.

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