crowd

1
[ kroud ]
See synonyms for: crowdcrowdedcrowdingcrowds on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a large number of persons gathered closely together; throng: a crowd of angry people.

  2. any large number of persons.

  1. any group or set of persons with something in common: The restaurant attracts a theater crowd.

  2. audience; attendance: Opening night drew a good crowd.

  3. the common people; the masses: He feels superior to the crowd.

  4. a large number of things gathered or considered together.

  5. Sociology. a temporary gathering of people responding to common stimuli and engaged in any of various forms of collective behavior.

verb (used without object)
  1. to gather in large numbers; throng; swarm.

  2. to press forward; advance by pushing.

verb (used with object)
  1. to press closely together; force into a confined space; cram: to crowd clothes into a suitcase.

  2. to push; shove.

  1. to fill to excess; fill by pressing or thronging into.

  2. to place under pressure or stress by constant solicitation: to crowd a debtor for payment; to crowd someone with embarrassing questions.

Idioms about crowd

  1. crowd on sail, Nautical. to carry a press of sail.

Origin of crowd

1
First recorded before 950; Middle English verb crouden, cruden, croden, Old English crūdan, crēodan “to press, hurry”; cognate with Middle Dutch crūden “to push,” Middle Low German krūden to annoy”

synonym study For crowd

1. Crowd, multitude, swarm, throng refer to large numbers of people. Crowd suggests a jostling, uncomfortable, and possibly disorderly company: A crowd gathered to listen to the speech. Multitude emphasizes the great number of persons or things but suggests that there is space enough for all: a multitude of people at the market on Saturdays. Swarm as used of people is usually contemptuous, suggesting a moving, restless, often noisy, crowd: A swarm of dirty children played in the street. Throng suggests a company that presses together or forward, often with some common aim: The throng pushed forward to see the cause of the excitement.

Grammar notes for crowd

Other words for crowd

Other words from crowd

  • crowder, noun

Words Nearby crowd

Other definitions for crowd (2 of 2)

crowd2
[ kroud ]

nounMusic.
  1. an ancient Celtic musical instrument with the strings stretched over a rectangular frame, played with a bow.

Origin of crowd

2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English croud, crouth, from Welsh crwth; see also crwth
  • Also called rota [roh-tuh], /ˈroʊ tə/, rote [roht], /roʊt/, rotta [rot-uh], /ˈrɒt ə/, rotte [rot] /rɒt/ .
  • Also crwth [krooth] /kruθ/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use crowd in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crowd (1 of 2)

crowd1

/ (kraʊd) /


noun
  1. a large number of things or people gathered or considered together

  2. a particular group of people, esp considered as a social or business set: the crowd from the office

    • the crowd the common people; the masses

    • (as modifier): crowd ideas

  1. follow the crowd to conform with the majority

verb
  1. (intr) to gather together in large numbers; throng

  2. (tr) to press together into a confined space

  1. (tr) to fill to excess; fill by pushing into

  2. (tr) informal to urge or harass by urging

  3. crowd on sail nautical to hoist as much sail as possible

Origin of crowd

1
Old English crūdan; related to Middle Low German krūden to molest, Middle Dutch crūden to push, Norwegian kryda to swarm

Derived forms of crowd

  • crowded, adjective
  • crowdedly, adverb
  • crowdedness, noun
  • crowder, noun

British Dictionary definitions for crowd (2 of 2)

crowd2

/ (kraʊd) /


noun
  1. music an ancient bowed stringed instrument; crwth

Origin of crowd

2
C13: from Welsh crwth

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with crowd

crowd

see follow the crowd; three's a crowd.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.