Cram — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈkram/

Meaning & Definition of Cram

Cram (verb)

  1. to pack tight, jam
  2. to fill with food to excess, stuff
  3. to eat voraciously, bolt

Cram (noun)

  1. a compressed multitude or crowd, crush
  2. last-minute study especially for an examination

Cram (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a great number of persons or things massed together

    "battling the rush-hour cram in the subway"

    similar: army, bike (chiefly Scottish), crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, swarm, throng
    related: masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, gaggle, heap, mountain, pile, jam, logjam

Cram (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to fit (people or things) into a tight space

    "tried to cram one more book into the backpack"

    similar: crowd, crush, jam, ram, sandwich, shoehorn, squeeze, stuff, wedge
    related: fill, heap, jam-pack, load, pack

  2. to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained

    "crammed his mouth with candy"

    similar: brim, charge, fill, heap, jam, jam-pack, load, pack, stuff
    related: drench, flood, glut, swamp, bloat, bulk, crowd, crush, mat, press, ram, shove, squash, squeeze, refill, refresh, reload, repack, replenish, overcharge, overfill, overflow, saturate, honeycomb, penetrate
    opposite: clear, empty, evacuate, vacate, void
    near: lighten, deplete, drain, eliminate, exhaust, bleed, draw (off), clean, flush, purge, scour, sweep

  3. to fill with food to capacity

    "one of those eating contests in which competitors attempt to cram themselves with as many hot dogs as they can in three minutes"

    similar: glut, gorge, sate, stuff, surfeit
    related: gobble, gormandize, pig out, gulp, guzzle, cloy, fill, banquet, feast, regale
    near: diet, fast

  4. to swallow or eat greedily

    "the thoughtless guest crammed a dinner that had taken hours to prepare"

    similar: bolt, devour, glut (archaic), gobble, gorge, gormandize, gulp, ingurgitate, inhale, raven, scarf, scoff, slop, wolf
    related: overeat, pig out, swill
    near: nibble, peck, pick

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Cram

The most common words with a similar meaning to Cram:

Chiefly Scottish: bike
Archaic: glut
army, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, swarm, throng, jam, ram, sandwich, shoehorn, squeeze, stuff, wedge, brim, charge, fill, heap, jam-pack, load, pack, gorge, sate, surfeit, bolt, devour, gobble, gormandize, gulp, ingurgitate

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Cram

Words with the opposite meaning of Cram:

clear, empty, evacuate, vacate, void

Related Words for Cram

masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, gaggle, mountain, pile, logjam, drench, flood, swamp, bloat, bulk, mat, shove, squash, refill, refresh, reload, repack, replenish, overcharge, overfill, overflow, saturate, honeycomb, penetrate, pig out, guzzle

Near Antonyms of Cram

lighten, deplete, drain, eliminate, exhaust, bleed, draw (off), clean, flush, purge, scour, sweep, diet, fast, nibble, peck, pick

Word Forms of Cram

Inflections: crammed, cramming

Derived words: crammer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Cram

Middle English crammen, from Old English crammian; akin to Old Norse kremja to squeeze

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Words & Phrases Containing Cram

cram in

Frequently Asked Questions about Cram

What does "Cram" mean?

"Cram" means to pack tight, jam. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to pack tight, jam. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Cram"?

Other words for "Cram" include army, bike, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd and horde. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Cram" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Cram"?

There are 84 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Cram". Common alternatives include army, bike, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host and legion.

What is the opposite of "Cram"?

Antonyms of "Cram" include clear, empty, evacuate, vacate and void. Near antonyms include lighten, deplete, drain and eliminate.

How do you use "Cram" in a sentence?

Examples of "Cram" in a sentence: "battling the rush-hour cram in the subway"; "tried to cram one more book into the backpack"; "crammed his mouth with candy".

Is "Cram" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Cram" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Cram"?

"Cram" is pronounced /ˈkram/.

What is the origin of the word "Cram"?

"Cram" comes from Middle English crammen, from Old English crammian; akin to Old Norse kremja to squeeze. First known use: before 12th centuryt.