overcrowded

adjective

over·​crowd·​ed ˌō-vər-ˈkrau̇-dəd How to pronounce overcrowded (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The coaching carousel is already far busier than usual at this time of year; now imagine a hopping-mad Auburn barreling into this overcrowded market. Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025 Kittens remain especially vulnerable—65 percent of all cat non-live outcomes involve kittens under 5 months old, showing that younger felines continue to face higher euthanasia risks in overcrowded shelters. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 The new normal is forgetting yesterday’s scandals in order to make room in our overcrowded brains for tomorrow’s. Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025 The Humane Society is reportedly seeking homes for the remaining cats, so the state's shelters have been chronically overcrowded for over three years. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overcrowded

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of overcrowd

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overcrowded was in 1725

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Cite this Entry

“Overcrowded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overcrowded. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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