crammed
crammed — adjective
1. so full of people or things that there is no room to move or add anything else
so full of people or things that there is no room to move or add anything else
The morning train was crammed with passengers standing shoulder to shoulder.
crammed with + noun phrase for what fills the space
Mei-Lin opened the suitcase and found it crammed with summer clothes she had forgotten.
The tiny flat felt so crammed that Wei decided to sell half of his furniture.
Every bookshelf in the library was crammed with old volumes dating back a century.
文法句型
be + crammed with [people/things]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the pattern 'crammed with + noun' to specify what fills the space. Can describe both physical spaces and abstract containers like schedules or programmes.
常見錯誤
crammed — noun
1. a very tight mass of people or objects pressed against each other with little or
a very tight mass of people or objects pressed against each other with little or no space in between
A cram of tourists blocked the entrance to the small museum.
a cram of [group noun] — describes a tightly packed crowd
The rush-hour train carried a solid cram of tired office workers each evening.
Fatima pushed through the cram of bodies near the stage to get a better view.
Inside the storage room there was a cram of old chairs, boxes, and broken lamps.
文法句型
a cram of [people/things]
用法筆記
Rare in everyday speech compared to the verb forms. Writers typically use 'crowd' or 'throng' instead. More often found in descriptive or literary writing than casual conversation.
2. a short period of very hard studying, usually done just before an examination or
a short period of very hard studying, usually done just before an examination or test
Arjun pulled an all-night cram before the physics final and barely passed.
informal: 'pull an all-night cram' — last-minute exam prep
The week before exams was nothing but non-stop cram for every student in the dorm.
Nguyen did a quick vocabulary cram on the bus ride to the language test.
Sofia found that last-minute cram helped her remember the key formulas for the math exam.
- cramming
the activity itself, more common as a noun than 'cram'
文法句型
a cram
last-minute cram
用法筆記
Used informally, this noun often forms phrases like 'cram session' or 'cram school'. The verb form 'cram' (sense 2 of verb) is more common than the noun. 'Cram' as a noun typically appears in the singular and often combines with 'all-night', 'last-minute', or 'quick'.
常見錯誤
crammed — verb
1. to push or force someone or something into a container or space that seems too s
to push or force someone or something into a container or space that seems too small to hold them
Kwame crammed all his camping gear into one backpack for the weekend trip.
cram + object + into [container]
The theatre staff crammed extra chairs onto the balcony to seat the late arrivals.
cram + object + onto [surface]
Twenty guests were crammed around a table designed for eight people.
Emma tried to cram a week's worth of sightseeing into a single afternoon in Paris.
Diego crammed the last sandwich into his mouth and ran for the bus.
- empty
remove everything from a container
- spread out
place things with space between them
文法句型
cram + object + into/onto [space]
be + crammed into/onto [space]
用法筆記
The pattern 'cram into' is the most common for physical objects. The passive form ('be crammed') is frequently used when the focus is on the space rather than the person doing the filling. Can be used figuratively for time ('cram activities into a day') or information ('cram facts into one's head').
常見錯誤
2. to study a lot in a very short time, especially just before an examination, tryi
to study a lot in a very short time, especially just before an examination, trying to remember as much information as possible
Lucia spent the whole weekend cramming for her biology exam on Monday morning.
cram for [exam name]
The students were cramming for their final exams in the library until midnight.
Hana crammed for the driving test by watching tutorial videos all night.
Jack knew he should have studied all term, but instead he crammed the night before.
Rather than cramming the night before the exam, Amara asked her teacher to explain difficult topics.
- learn gradually
study steadily over time rather than all at once
文法句型
cram for [exam/test]
用法筆記
Always intransitive in this sense — you cannot 'cram an exam'. You 'cram for an exam' or just 'cram' when the exam is clear from context. Often carries a mildly negative connotation, suggesting the student has not prepared steadily throughout the term.