Pack — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈpak/

Meaning & Definition of Pack

Pack (noun)

  1. a bundle arranged for convenience in carrying especially on the back
  2. a group or pile of related objects
  3. a number of individual components packaged as a unit

Pack (verb)

  1. to make into a compact bundle
  2. to fill completely
  3. to fill with packing
  4. to influence the composition of so as to bring about a desired result
  5. to arrange (the cards in a pack) so as to cheat

Pack (adjective)

  1. intimate

Pack (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to close up so that no empty spaces remain

    "carefully pack the food containers so we'll have as much as possible for the picnic"

    similar: block, bung, dam, fill, plug, stop, stuff
    related: choke, clog, close (off), clot, congest, jam, obstruct, occlude, caulk, chink, seal, repack, restuff
    near: excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out), shovel

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

    "I had packed the suitcase so tightly that it wouldn't close"

    similar: brim, charge, cram, fill, heap, jam, jam-pack, load, 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 support and take from one place to another

    "remember to pack several changes of clothing"

    similar: bear, carry, cart, convey, ferry, haul, lug, tote, transport
    related: deliver, hand over, transfer, forward, send, ship, transmit, bring, fetch, take, move, remove, shift

  4. to wear or have on one's person

    "a private detective packing a weapon"

    similar: bear, carry
    related: flaunt, show off, sport, display, exhibit, parade, show

Pack (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a soft-sided case designed for carrying belongings especially on the back

    "part of basic training is becoming accustomed to taking very long hikes with an 80-pound pack"

    similar: backpack, kit bag, knapsack, packsack, rucksack
    related: haversack, carryall, carry-on, grip, handbag, holdall (chiefly British), portmanteau, suitcase, traveling bag, fanny pack, school bag, seabag, overnight bag, overnight case, weekend bag

  2. a wrapped or sealed case containing an item or set of items

    "she tucked a small pack of lozenges into her bag"

    similar: bundle, package, packet, parcel
    related: bag, poke (chiefly Southern & Midland), pouch, sack, bale, box, container, crate

  3. a considerable amount

    "it took a pack of courage to stand up before that crowd and tell the truth"

    similar: abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, multiplicity, myriad, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, sheaf, shipload, sight, slew, spate, stack, store, ton, truckload, volume, wad, wealth, yard, all kinds (of), quite a bit
    related: epidemic, plague, rash, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, plethora, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, overflow, army, bevy, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mob, multitude, press, score, sea, swarm, throng, gazillion, jillion, kazillion, million, thousands, trillion, zillion
    opposite: ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, taste, touch, trace
    near: atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, smatter, smattering, dash, drop, morsel, shot, piece, portion, section, absence, dearth, famine, lack, paucity, poverty, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want, deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, meagerness, scantiness, scantness, skimpiness

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

    "had run with a pack of hot-rodders when he was in high school"

    similar: body, bunch, circle, clan, clique, community, coterie, coven, crowd, fold, galère, gang, klatch, lot, network, 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

Pack (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in close, tight

    similar: bosom, chummy, close, familiar, friendly, inseparable, intimate, pally, palsy, palsy-walsy (slang), thick, tight, clannish, cliquey, cliquish, close-knit, exclusive, snobbish, snobby, incestuous, forbidding, inhospitable, unfriendly
    opposite: receptive, welcoming

Related Entry: Pack (off) (verb)

Pack (off) is a different word from Pack. The synonyms below are for pack (off), not for pack.

  1. to cause to go or be taken from one place to another

    "packed the child off to a good boarding school"

    similar: consign, dispatch, send, ship, shoot, transfer, transmit, transport
    related: convey, deliver, hand over, pass, render, advance, drop, launch, address, forward, export, import, bestow, contribute, donate, give, present, resend, return
    opposite: accept, receive
    near: acquire, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure

Related Entry: Pack (up or in) (verb)

Pack (up or in) is a different word from Pack. The synonyms below are for pack (up or in), not for pack.

  1. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

    "the auto company is downsizing and will be packing up operations at the local plant"

    similar: break, break off, break up, can (slang), cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, quit, shut off, stop, have done with, put the kibosh on
    related: complete, conclude, finish, close (down), deactivate, block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, suspend, arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, pause, stay, abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuff
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

  2. to stop doing (something) permanently

    "after two years of college, he decided to pack in that academic stuff and join the army"

    similar: abandon, discontinue, drop, give up, knock off, lay off (of), quit, hang it up, have done (with)
    related: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, end, expire, finish, halt, leave off, shut off, pause, taper off, throw up, round (off or out), terminate, wind up, wrap up
    opposite: carry on, continue, keep, keep up, maintain
    near: go, run on, hang in, hang on, hold on, persevere, persist, follow through (with), renew, reopen, restart, resume, preserve, stay, begin, commence, start

Related Entry: Pack (up or off) (verb)

Pack (up or off) is a different word from Pack. The synonyms below are for pack (up or off), not for pack.

  1. to leave a place often for another

    "with the dinner conversation becoming more and more desultory, the time had clearly come to pack off"

    similar: bail, bail out, begone, book (slang), bug off, bug out, bugger off (British slang), buzz (off), clear off (chiefly British), clear out, cut out, depart, dig out, exit, get, get off, go, go off, move, part, peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, run along, sally (forth), scarper (British), shove (off), step (along), take off, vamoose, walk out, beat it, hit the road, pull stakes, take a hike, take a powder
    related: set out, start, strike out, abscond, decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, mizzle (chiefly British), run away, scat, scram, skip, go out, light out, step out, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate, emigrate, adjourn, remove, retire, retreat, withdraw
    opposite: arrive, come, show up, turn up
    near: abide, dwell, lodge, remain, settle, stay, tarry, approach, close, near, hit, land, reach

Related Entry: Pack animal (noun)

Pack animal is a different word from Pack. The synonyms below are for pack animal, not for pack.

  1. as in donkey, ass

    similar: ass, burro, donkey, jackass, moke (British slang), jack, jennet, jenny, hinny, mule

Related Entry: Pack animals (noun)

Pack animals is a different word from Pack. The synonyms below are for pack animals, not for pack.

  1. as in donkeys, asses

    similar: asses, burros, donkeys, jackasses, mokes (British slang), jacks, jennets, jennies, hinnies, mules

Related Entry: Pack rat (noun)

Pack rat is a different word from Pack. The synonyms below are for pack rat, not for pack.

  1. as in saver, hoarder

    similar: hoarder, saver, cheapskate, churl, hunks, miser, penny-pincher, piker, scrooge, skinflint, tightwad
    opposite: prodigal, profligate, spender, spendthrift, squanderer, waster, wastrel

Related Entry: Pack rats (noun)

Pack rats is a different word from Pack. The synonyms below are for pack rats, not for pack.

  1. as in savers, hoarders

    similar: hoarders, savers, cheapskates, churls, hunks, misers, penny-pinchers, pikers, scrooges, skinflints, tightwads
    opposite: prodigals, profligates, spenders, spendthrifts, squanderers, wasters, wastrels

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Pack

The most common words with a similar meaning to Pack:

Chiefly British: lashings
Slang: palsy-walsy
block, bung, dam, fill, plug, stop, stuff, brim, charge, cram, heap, jam, jam-pack, load, bear, carry, cart, convey, ferry, haul, lug, tote, transport, backpack, kit bag, knapsack, packsack, rucksack, bundle, package, packet, parcel, abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bushel, carload

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Pack

Words with the opposite meaning of Pack:

clear, empty, evacuate, vacate, void, ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling

Related Words for Pack

choke, clog, close (off), clot, congest, obstruct, occlude, caulk, chink, seal, repack, restuff, drench, flood, glut, swamp, bloat, bulk, crush, mat, press, ram, shove, squash, squeeze, refill, refresh, reload, replenish, overcharge

Near Antonyms of Pack

excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out), shovel, lighten, deplete, drain, eliminate, exhaust, bleed, draw (off), clean, flush, purge, scour, sweep, atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin

Word Forms of Pack

Inflections: packed, packing, packs

Derived words: packability (noun), packable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Pack

Middle English, of Low German or Dutch origin; akin to Middle Low German & Middle Dutch pak pack

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Pack

Words & Phrases Containing Pack

pack animal, pack ice, pack journalism, pack rat, pack the court, pack a punch/wallop

Frequently Asked Questions about Pack

What does "Pack" mean?

"Pack" means a bundle arranged for convenience in carrying especially on the back. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a bundle arranged for convenience in carrying especially on the back. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Pack"?

Other words for "Pack" include block, bung, dam, fill, plug, stop, stuff and brim. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Pack" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Pack"?

There are 273 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Pack". Common alternatives include block, bung, dam, fill, plug, stop, stuff, brim, charge and cram.

What is the opposite of "Pack"?

Antonyms of "Pack" include clear, empty, evacuate, vacate, void, ace, bit and dab. Near antonyms include excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out) and shovel.

How do you use "Pack" in a sentence?

Examples of "Pack" in a sentence: "carefully pack the food containers so we'll have as much as possible for the picnic"; "I had packed the suitcase so tightly that it wouldn't close"; "remember to pack several changes of clothing".

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

"Pack" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

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

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

How do you pronounce "Pack"?

"Pack" is pronounced /ˈpak/.