Synonyms

overcrowd

American

[oh-ver-kroud] / ˌoʊ vərˈkraʊd /

verb (used with or without object)

to crowd to an uncomfortable or undesirable excess.

overcrowd British

/ ˌəʊvəˈkraʊd /

verb

(tr) to fill (a room, vehicle, city, etc) with more people or things than is desirable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of overcrowd

First recorded in 1760–70; over- + crowd ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“These cuts … will force patients to forgo or delay basic dental care, driving completely preventable emergencies into already overcrowded emergency departments.”

From Los Angeles Times

Overzealous security guards, higher prices and overcrowding at parties also alienated longtime fans.

From The Wall Street Journal

California’s elderly parole program originates from a federate court ruling aimed at reducing overcrowding in jails and is based in part on studies that show that the risk of recidivism decreases with age.

From Los Angeles Times

Reports are already emerging from the South Texas Family Residential Center an hour south of San Antonio, which ICE uses to house children slated for removal from this country, of rancid food and overcrowded cells.

From Los Angeles Times

But Karachi, home to more than 20 million, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of building regulations.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023