Illustration of crowd
- 3crowd 1
crowded; crowding; crowds
1
a
: to press on : hurry
The ships crowded northward.
b
: to press close
The players crowded around the coach.
2
: to collect in numbers
Police officers warned people not to crowd.
1
a
: to fill by pressing or thronging together
crowd a room
b
: to press, force, or thrust into a small space
crowded the people into the bus
3
a
: to urge on
… I crowded him until streams of sweat ran from his beard.—
Jesse H. Stuart
Jesse H. Stuart
b
: to put on (sail) in excess of the usual for greater speed
4
: to put pressure on
Don't crowd me, I'll pay.
5
6
: to press or stand close to
The batter was crowding the plate.
7
: to approach or come close to (an age or amount)
a friend who's crowding 70
… a sedan that crowds $100,000 when all the option boxes have been checked.—Jeff Sabatini
Jeff Sabatini1
: a large number of persons especially when collected together : throng
2
a
: the great body of the people : populace
b
: most of one's peers
follow the crowd
3
: a large number of things close together
… I saw a crowd … of golden daffodils …—William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth4
: a group of people having something (such as a habit, interest, or occupation) in common
in with the wrong crowd
the Hollywood crowd
1
: an ancient Celtic stringed instrument that is plucked or bowed
called also crwth
2
dialectal, England
: violin
Synonyms
Examples of crowd in a Sentence
Verb
Boxes crowded the floor of my apartment.
There are too many products crowding the market.
The club has been accused of crowding too many people into too small a space.
By the end of the 10th mile, three bicyclists were crowding the racer in front.
Please move back. You're crowding me.
Recent Examples on the WebJenn Rice, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2023
There are plenty of reasons to keep tabs this season on the Washington Bach Consort, whose many offerings of chamber music, noontime cantatas, special presentations and robustly realized full performances of great works can crowd your calendar.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
Beachgoers crowd Montrose Beach in Chicago on Monday.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 5 Sep. 2023
After the game, fans crowded onto the outfield grass to view a video tribute to Bryant that was punctuated by a drone show.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
On June 24, the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with more than 150 friends, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren crowding into the local American Legion Hall.
—Susan Young, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2023
Fans crowded the Ford Stadium concourse seeking shade and water, which this year will be distributed at the gates for free.
—Stefan Stevenson, Dallas News, 1 Sep. 2023
The spring gets crowded and wait times can range from one to three hours.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 31 Aug. 2023
Around the affordable eateries and motley shops where workers once crowded, employees eagerly latch onto anyone passing by.
—Vivian Wang, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Michael Dobuski, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
In a video shared by 7 News WHDH, a crowd can be seen huddled near what appears to be two people, trying to pull them away from each other.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023
Analyzing the top high school football games this week:
FRIDAY
Thousand Oaks (3-2, 1-0) at Newbury Park (3-1, 1-0), 7 p.m.
This Canyon League showdown between neighborhood teams should produce a packed crowd.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
According to a statement of facts from the FBI, starting at about 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, a crowd began amassing on the west front of the Capitol.
—Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2023
Yellowstone can still draw a crowd — even for a repeat.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Sep. 2023
Unlike the total solar eclipse in 2017, when visitors were expected across Oregon, tourism officials are expecting crowds this year to be concentrated in one part of the state: Klamath County.
—Jamie Hale, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
In statements issued by BP and local police, tear gas was used to disperse crowds.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 19 Sep. 2023
The exact time and audience are not yet clear, but the New York Times first reported Trump would skip the California debate in favor of remarks to a union crowd.
—Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2023
See More
Verb
Airport bathrooms can be crowded, and many of us our rushing to our flights.
—Jenn Rice, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2023
There are plenty of reasons to keep tabs this season on the Washington Bach Consort, whose many offerings of chamber music, noontime cantatas, special presentations and robustly realized full performances of great works can crowd your calendar.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
Beachgoers crowd Montrose Beach in Chicago on Monday.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 5 Sep. 2023
After the game, fans crowded onto the outfield grass to view a video tribute to Bryant that was punctuated by a drone show.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
On June 24, the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with more than 150 friends, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren crowding into the local American Legion Hall.
—Susan Young, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2023
Fans crowded the Ford Stadium concourse seeking shade and water, which this year will be distributed at the gates for free.
—Stefan Stevenson, Dallas News, 1 Sep. 2023
The spring gets crowded and wait times can range from one to three hours.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 31 Aug. 2023
Around the affordable eateries and motley shops where workers once crowded, employees eagerly latch onto anyone passing by.
—Vivian Wang, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Noun
That shows failed to attract crowds seen at earlier Detroit Auto Shows.
—Michael Dobuski, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
In a video shared by 7 News WHDH, a crowd can be seen huddled near what appears to be two people, trying to pull them away from each other.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023
Analyzing the top high school football games this week:
FRIDAY
Thousand Oaks (3-2, 1-0) at Newbury Park (3-1, 1-0), 7 p.m.
This Canyon League showdown between neighborhood teams should produce a packed crowd.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
According to a statement of facts from the FBI, starting at about 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, a crowd began amassing on the west front of the Capitol.
—Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2023
Yellowstone can still draw a crowd — even for a repeat.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Sep. 2023
Unlike the total solar eclipse in 2017, when visitors were expected across Oregon, tourism officials are expecting crowds this year to be concentrated in one part of the state: Klamath County.
—Jamie Hale, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
In statements issued by BP and local police, tear gas was used to disperse crowds.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 19 Sep. 2023
The exact time and audience are not yet clear, but the New York Times first reported Trump would skip the California debate in favor of remarks to a union crowd.
—Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crowd.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English crouden "to push forward, jostle, press, push or drive (something wheeled)," going back to Old English crūdan "to crowd, press (against), press forward (of a ship)," going back to Germanic *krūdan- "to press, push forward" (whence also Middle Dutch crûden "to push, shove, trundle," Norwegian regional kryda (preterit kraud) "to flow together, congregate"), of uncertain origin
Note: Old English crūdan, a Class II strong verb, is attested twice in poetic texts, as crydeþ (third person singular present) and cread (third singular preterit); evidence in other old Germanic languages is lacking. Nominal derivatives *kruda- and *krudan- are evident in Old English lindgecrod "shield-bearing crowd" and lindcroda "shield-press, battle"; the same underlying forms may be evident in Middle Dutch crod "hindrance, bother," Middle High German krot "annoyance, distress," kroten, kröten "to bother, annoy." (Further Frisian and Low German forms are detailed in the Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, s.v. crowd.) See also crud entry 2.
Noun (1)
derivative of crowd entry 1
Noun (2)
Middle English crouþ, croude, borrowed from Middle Welsh crwth "crowd (the instrument), fiddle, hump, humpback, anything round or bulging," going back to Celtic *krutto- "round or bulging object" (whence also, from a feminine derivative *kruttā, Welsh croth "womb, belly"; also Middle Irish crott, cruitt "harp, lyre, hump," Middle Breton courz "female genitals"), probably of expressive origin
Note: The word crotta as the name of a musical instrument was used by the sixth century Latin poet and hymnodist Venantius Fortunatus ("… crotta Britanna canat" - "… may the British crotta sing"). The grounds for the shift from th to d in the English word are uncertain.
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun (1)
1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of crowd was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing crowd
Dictionary Entries Near crowd
Cite this Entry
“Crowd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowd. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
crowd
1 of 2 verb1
: to press forward or close
crowd into an elevator
2
: to push or press into a small space
crowd coats into a closet
3
: to fill or pack by pressing together
cars crowded the roads
4
: to push or force by or as if by a crowd
we were crowded off the sidewalk
crowd
2 of 2 noun1
: a large number of persons or things crowded or crowding together
2
: the population as a whole : ordinary people
books that appeal to the crowd
3
: a large number of things close together
4
: a group of people having a common interest
More from Merriam-Webster on crowd
Nglish: Translation of crowd for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of crowd for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crowd
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