Crowd — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈkrau̇d/

Meaning & Definition of Crowd

Crowd (verb)

  1. to press on, hurry
  2. to press close
  3. to collect in numbers

Crowd (noun)

  1. a large number of persons especially when collected together, throng
  2. the great body of the people, populace
  3. most of one's peers
  4. an ancient Celtic stringed instrument that is plucked or bowed —called also crwth
  5. violin

Crowd (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a great number of persons or creatures massed together

    "a huge crowd of fans was on hand to greet the returning World Series champions"

    similar: army, bike (chiefly Scottish), cram, 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

  2. a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially

    "the fashionable crowd at the polo tournament"

    similar: body, bunch, circle, clan, clique, community, coterie, coven, fold, galère, gang, klatch, lot, network, pack, ring, set
    related: charmed circle, elite, in-group, closed shop, club, college, fellowship, guild, league, organization, society, camp, faction, sect, side, tribe, mess, squad, brotherhood, fraternity, order, sisterhood, sodality, sorority, commune, alliance, bloc, coalition, confederation, congress, council, federation, union
    near: loner, individualist

  3. the body of the community as contrasted with the elite

    "no national leader was ever more hated by the crowd"

    similar: commoners, commons, herd, hoi polloi, mass, millions, mob, multitude, people, plebeians, plebs, populace, public, rank and file
    related: cattle, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff, rout, scum, tag, rag, and bobtail, trash, unwashed, bourgeoisie, middle class
    opposite: A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect, elite, fat, flower, pick, pink, pride, upper crust
    near: gentility, gentlefolk, gentry, haute monde, nobility, patriciate, peerage, quality, royalty, society

Crowd (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

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

    "crowded all the boats into the harbor before the storm struck"

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

  2. to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers

    "cars crowded the roads over the long holiday weekend"

    similar: flock, mob, swarm, throng
    related: beset, infest, invade, overrun, clog, dam, jam, obstruct, plug (up)

  3. to gather into a closely packed group

    "everyone crowded around to see the baby being shown off by his proud parents"

    similar: bunch, cluster, huddle, pile, press
    related: assemble, collect, concenter, concentrate, conglomerate, congregate, convene, converge, flock, forgather, herd, swarm, throng, encircle, mob, surround, embrace, hug
    near: break up, disband, disperse, split (up)

Related Entry: Crowd-pleasing (adjective)

Crowd-pleasing is a different word from Crowd. The synonyms below are for crowd-pleasing, not for crowd.

  1. enjoying widespread favor or approval

    "an actor who rarely ventures far afield from crowd-pleasing comedies and actioners"

    similar: big, du jour, faddish, faddy, fashionable, favorite, happening, hot, in, large, modish, pop, popular, popularized, red-hot, vogue, voguish
    related: semipopular, preferred, selected, desirable, liked, wanted, celebrated, famed, famous, noted, notorious, prominent, renowned, well-known, fabled, fabulous, legendary, leading, notable, outstanding, remarkable, important, significant
    opposite: out, unfashionable, unpopular
    near: washed-up, despised, detested, disliked, hated, rejected, insignificant, unimportant, indistinguished, unexceptional, anonymous, nameless, obscure, unknown, inconspicuous

Related Entry: (the) crowd (noun)

(the) crowd is a different word from Crowd. The synonyms below are for (the) crowd, not for crowd.

  1. as in (the) public, (the) people

    similar: commoners, (the) masses, peasantry, peonage, (the) people, plebeians, plebs, (the) populace, (the) public, rank and file, proletarians, proletariat, bourgeoisie, middle class, working class, dregs, (the) herd, (the) mob, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, scum, trash
    opposite: aristocracy, elite, gentility, gentlefolk, gentry, nobility, patriciate, quality, upper class, upper crust, A-list, beau monde, beautiful people, café society, Four Hundred, glitterati, haut monde, jet set, society, carriage trade, plutocracy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Crowd

The most common words with a similar meaning to Crowd:

Chiefly Scottish: bike
army, cram, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, swarm, throng, body, bunch, circle, clan, clique, community, coterie, coven, fold, galère, gang, klatch, lot, network, pack, ring, set, commoners, commons, hoi polloi, millions, people, plebeians

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Crowd

Words with the opposite meaning of Crowd:

A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect, elite, fat, flower, pick, pink, pride, upper crust

Related Words for Crowd

masses, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, gaggle, heap, mountain, logjam, charmed circle, elite, in-group, closed shop, club, college, fellowship, guild, league, organization, society, camp, faction, sect, side, tribe, mess, squad, brotherhood, fraternity, order, sisterhood

Near Antonyms of Crowd

loner, individualist, gentility, gentlefolk, gentry, haute monde, nobility, patriciate, peerage, quality, royalty, society, break up, disband, disperse, split (up)

Word Forms of Crowd

Inflections: crowded, crowding, crowds

Origin & Etymology of Crowd

Middle English crouden "to push forward, jostle, press, push or drive (something wheeled)," going back to Old English crūdan "to crowd, press (against), press forward (of a ship)," going back to Germanic *krūdan- "to press, push forward" (whence also Middle Dutch crûden "to push, shove, trundle," Norwegian regional kryda (preterit kraud) "to flow together, congregate"), of uncertain origin

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Crowd

Words & Phrases Containing Crowd

crowd-pleaser, crowd-surf, crowd around/round, crowd in, crowd out, a bad crowd, draw a big/large crowd

Frequently Asked Questions about Crowd

What does "Crowd" mean?

"Crowd" means to press on, hurry. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to press on, hurry. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Crowd"?

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

What are different ways to say "Crowd"?

There are 129 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Crowd". Common alternatives include army, bike, cram, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host and legion.

What is the opposite of "Crowd"?

Antonyms of "Crowd" include A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect and elite. Near antonyms include loner, individualist, gentility and gentlefolk.

How do you use "Crowd" in a sentence?

Examples of "Crowd" in a sentence: "a huge crowd of fans was on hand to greet the returning World Series champions"; "the fashionable crowd at the polo tournament"; "no national leader was ever more hated by the crowd".

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

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

Is "Crowd" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Crowd" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Crowd"?

"Crowd" is pronounced /ˈkrau̇d/.