overcrowded

adjective

over·​crowd·​ed ˌō-vər-ˈkrau̇-dəd 

: crowded or filled to excess : having too many people or things

overcrowded streets/cities/classrooms

living in overcrowded conditions

… having an overcrowded space can make it hard for buyers to … visualize their own belongings in the space, said Los Angeles-based designer Francesca Grace.

—Jennifer Tzeses

… some 5 million workers commute for up to three hours on trains so overcrowded that there seem to be as many passengers hanging on to the outside of the carriages as there are inside.

—Ismail Merchant

Examples of overcrowded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Start by removing any dead or diseased branches, as well as those that are overcrowded. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026

Keeping furry friends with the people who love them takes excess burdens off already overcrowded shelters and thus helps prevent suffering on both a human and animal level. — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

With limited access to clean water, electricity and sanitation, overcrowded camps are grappling with flies, mosquitoes and other insects. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Tickets sell out, but that doesn’t mean the venue is overcrowded—there are plenty of available seats on most courts throughout the day—which makes for a pleasant environment. — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of overcrowd

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overcrowded

• clouded
• crowded
• shrouded
• enshrouded
• unclouded
• uncrowded