crowd

Public place mob

Themes common to many meanings of crowd are large numbers and inadequate space.

A large number of assembled people is a crowd; if they don’t have much room to move, they are crowded.

A group of people who share a characteristic, no matter how large the group, can also be called a crowd: the Wall Street crowd.

If people crowd a place, they go in large numbers, or press in closely.

With abstract objects, crowd suggests more items than time or space allows: Silly meetings keep crowding my schedule.

throng

multitude

Very large number

mobDisorderly, aggressive crowd
hordeDisorganized, overwhelming crowd
swarmMass of moving insects

mass · gathering · assembly · congregation · pack · cluster · flock · herd · bunch · group

encroach

intrude

Enter uninvited

invadeEnter by force
infringeViolate another's rights
close inApproach from all sides

hem in · overwhelm · swamp · overrun · flood · descend upon · besiege · mob · surround · engulf

congestion

traffic

Movement along routes

jamCooked fruit spread
bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
gridlockComplete mutual obstruction

packed · crammed · crush · squeeze · rush hour · logjam · chokepoint · sardines · elbow to elbow · standing room only

pressure

jostle

Push roughly against

pushForce something away
shovePush with force
surgeSudden powerful increase

stampede · trample · crush · squeeze · elbow · shoulder · press forward · barrier · cordon · bottleneck

audience

spectators

Those who observe events

onlookersPeople observing an event
attendeesPeople at an event
viewersPeople who watch

listeners · fans · theater · concert · stadium · arena · gallery · applause · ovation · encore

event

rally

Gathering for a cause

festivalOrganized public celebration
paradeCeremonial public procession
carnivalTraveling amusement attraction

protest · demonstration · march · concert · match · game day · celebration · procession · pilgrimage · marathon

Categories

groupsteam, teams, group, club, clubs
peoplepeople, persons, person, individuals, humans
social lifefriend, family, group, relationship, community
urbancity, metropolis, skyline, skyscraper, cityscape
Noisy Thingsalarm, sirens, jackhammer, car alarm, chainsaw
human groupstribe, clan, class, caste, gang

Opposites

number/quantity of people

crowdindividual

One separate human being

single person · loner · nobody · emptiness · hermit

social status/class

crowdelite

Superior select group

aristocracy · nobility · upper crust · gentry · cream

MOVEMENT/ACTION (verb sense)

Cause to spread apart

scatter · disband · dissipate · spread out · separate

Phrases

crowded outDisplaced by competition
follow the crowdAdopt majority behavior
crowd pleaserBroadly appealing attraction
wrong crowdHarmful social group
crowd controlRegulating gathered masses
tough crowdUnresponsive audience group

Family

crowded, scarecrow, crowds, crowding, overcrowded, crowding out, crowbar, scarecrows, uncrowded

Familiarity: Top 5,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G