as in crowded
formal
having a large population
a populous seaport the most populous state in the U.S.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of populous
Entire megacities in Guangdong, one of the world’s most populous regions, have been brought to a standstill ahead of the storm, with schools closed and work suspended, some businesses shut, and public transport halted.
—
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
The Cambodian government recognizes that without technical and economic progress they’ll be left behind their two larger and more populous neighbors.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Outside of the seven most populous counties, there are only 23 OBGYNs to serve over half a million residents.
—Atul Grover, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
More pragmatically, the unit is strategically placed in Africa’s second most populous city and among the fastest-growing urban centers in the world.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populous
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
The Cambodian government recognizes that without technical and economic progress they’ll be left behind their two larger and more populous neighbors.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Outside of the seven most populous counties, there are only 23 OBGYNs to serve over half a million residents.
—Atul Grover, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
More pragmatically, the unit is strategically placed in Africa’s second most populous city and among the fastest-growing urban centers in the world.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populous
Adjective
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Both lie within crowded galaxy clusters, where their jets likely interact with million-degree hot plasma, sculpting these unusual shapes.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
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OpenAI released its most powerful GPT-5 model in August, aimed at shoring up its lead in an increasingly crowded sphere.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, the more vibrant color for color lasers is the most consistent difference between the two.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
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The show was also filmed in color at a time when British TV was resolutely black-and-white, meaning that fans had to imagine the vibrant green, orange, and yellow color schemes of Thunderbirds 2, 3, and 4, respectively, for themselves.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Populous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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