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 state might offer homestead grants to enable families to move to rural housing instead of spending billions building affordable housing in urban areas, which creates school overcrowding, traffic and overcrowded neighborhoods. —Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026

In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said that ICE provides all detainees with proper medical treatment and that detention facilities are not overcrowded. —Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026

As mentioned, lounges are often overcrowded, and taking up more than your fair share of space can frustrate fellow travelers. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026

That can create logistical problems and contribute to overcrowded pods. —Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 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