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

The surrounding residential buildings are private homes, which keeps the beachfront from ever feeling overcrowded, even in high season. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

The route between North Africa and Spain is one of several commonly used by migrants seeking to reach Europe, often involving overcrowded and unseaworthy boats. —ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026

Dividing these plants and spacing them out helps to reinvigorate old and overcrowded plants. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026

Winter clothing takes up valuable space, spring and summer items feel overcrowded, and closets become difficult to maintain. —Laura Vansickle, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 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