throng

noun \ ˈthrȯŋ \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of throng

1 a : a multitude of assembled persons

b : a large number : host

2 a : a crowding together of many persons

b : a pressing increase of activity

this throng of business
—S. R. Crockett

See throng defined for English-language learners

See throng defined for kids

Examples of throng in a Sentence

grabbed a megaphone and addressed the vast throng

Recent Examples of throng from the Web

Kudlow began his tenure by appearing almost daily on morning television from the White House North Lawn, holding court afterward with unruly throngs of reporters.

— kevin liptak, CNN, "Bolton, Kudlow on the rise, but risks abound," 19 Apr. 2018
Since the shooting, Hogg and many other students from the Parkland, Florida, school anchored a massive rally against gun violence in Washington on March 24, and throngs of young people took part in sister marches across the country.

— CBS News, "David Hogg, school shooting survivor, calls for investment firm boycott," 18 Apr. 2018
But privacy doesn’t seem to be a chief concern among throngs of Venmo users.

— NBC News, "How to use Venmo smarter," 9 Apr. 2018
Paul McCartney was among the massive throng of people out marching Saturday morning for gun control.

— ryan parker, The Hollywood Reporter, "Paul McCartney Remembers John Lennon During March For Our Lives," 24 Mar. 2018
From coast to coast, throngs of teenagers will be joined by celebrities, teachers, parents and everyday Americans this Saturday to march for their lives.

— sarah gray, Time, "Your Complete Guide to March for Our Lives Rallies From New York to L.A.," 22 Mar. 2018
In the end, at Crown Hill, throngs of people who had withstood eight hours of ceremony and processions stood in cold silence.

— maureen c. gilmer, Indianapolis Star, "For Deputy Jacob Pickett, a memorial almost too big to comprehend," 9 Mar. 2018
Afterwards, the actor posed for photos with the throngs of fans that grew by the minute.

— bethany ao, Philly.com, "Sylvester Stallone makes surprise appearance at Rocky statue," 6 Apr. 2018
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, two of the game’s active legends, put their unspoken rivalry to rest and played a Masters practice round together Tuesday for the first time — much to the delight of throngs of Masters patrons.

— jesse smithey, Detroit Free Press, "Whoa! Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson put on a show at Masters practice," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'throng.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of throng

Middle English throng, thrang "mass, press," going back to Old English *thrang or gethrang (with ge-, collective prefix), going back to West Germanic *þrang- (whence Middle Dutch gedranc "crowd, press," dranc, drang "pressure," Old High German gidrang "crowd, mass"), noun ablaut derivative from the base of Germanic *þrengan-,*þrenhan- "to press" (whence Old Saxon thringan "to press, urge," Old High German dringan, thringan, Old Norse þryngva "to press, crowd," Gothic þreihan), going back to dialectal Indo-European *trenk- "press," whence also Lithuanian trenkiù, treñkti "to push roughly, fling"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

throng Synonyms

Synonyms

army, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, swarm;

gaggle;

heap, mountain, pile;

jam, logjam;

Synonym Discussion of throng

crowd, throng, horde, crush, mob mean an assembled multitude. crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

- a crowd gathered

throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

- a throng of reporters
- a horde of shoppers

crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

- a crush of fans

mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

- an angry mob

throng

verb

Definition of throng

thronged; thronging play \ˈthrȯŋ-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to crowd upon : press

a celebrity thronged by fans

2 : to crowd into : pack

shoppers thronging the streets

intransitive verb

: to crowd together in great numbers

See throng defined for English-language learners

Examples of throng in a Sentence

Shoppers thronged the mall for the sales.
fans thronged the field to celebrate the win

Recent Examples of throng from the Web

For nine days, teachers thronged the capital, at one point voting to override their own union leaders to continue the strike, the state's first by teachers since 1990.

— matt pearce, latimes.com, "Around the U.S., protesting teachers see some gains in conservative states," 15 Apr. 2018
The doctrine, and lifestyle, have proven highly attractive to many professional and prosperous Westerners, who thronged to Pune, the Bhagwan’s headquarters in India, during the 1970s.

— david sarasohn, The New Republic, "Antelope’s Last Stand," 12 Apr. 2018
Officials say two young men were killed in Kashmir when government forces fired on anti-India protesters who thronged a village where soldiers were battling militants.

— Fox News, "2 civilians, 1 Indian soldier killed in Kashmir fighting," 11 Apr. 2018
Khan’s fans thronged outside the courtroom hoping to catch a glimpse of the actor on his way in, and police ramped up security, Indian media reported.

— vidhi doshi, Washington Post, "Reformed Bollywood bad boy Salman Khan sentenced to 5 years prison for poaching antelope," 5 Apr. 2018
Thousands have thronged the Capitol for three straight days seeking more money for the classrooms.

— CBS News, "Oklahoma teachers risk losing support as walkout continues, some say," 5 Apr. 2018
The Wallace Collection: This tiny museum tucked just behind Selfridges is a great escape when the thronging crowds of Oxford Street get to be too much.

— tom marchant, Harper's BAZAAR, "103 Things to Do, See, Eat and Shop in London," 7 Dec. 2017
The course of jumps, descents and hairpin turns was thronged with fans, their faces up against the Plexiglas at sections.

— david allan, CNN, "'You gotta be a little bit crazy' for the Crashed Ice skate derby," 16 Mar. 2018
The morning continued with students thronging to add their thoughts to a unity chain that was created that morning.

— jane ford-stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Greenfield walkout students send message, come closer together," 14 Mar. 2018