overcrowded

1 of 2

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

overcrowded

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of overcrowd

Examples of overcrowded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

My sailing included ports in Italy, France, and Spain—all were beautiful and none were overcrowded. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026

The overcrowded fishing vessel that was intercepted in the early hours of Monday had 207 Haitians onboard, authorities said. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

Ashleigh Johnson, a mother of four in the Grapevine-Colleyville school district, said her kids were pushed into an overcrowded school when the district was forced to close its elementary school because of budget shortfalls and declining enrollment. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

Burnham also faces pressure over Britain’s overcrowded prisons. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of overcrowd

First Known Use

Adjective

1725, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overcrowded

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