crowding
crowding — verb
- crowdingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- crowdings3rd person singular
- crowdinging-ing form
- crowdingedpast simple
1. to stand or stay too close to someone, or to watch what they are doing too close
to stand or stay too close to someone, or to watch what they are doing too closely, so that they feel uncomfortable or pressured
Theo's little brother kept crowding him while he tried to do his homework.
transitive: crowd + someone (discomfort from proximity)
The fans crowded around the singer as she left the theatre, all trying to take a picture.
intransitive: crowd around [someone]
Mia felt crowded by her manager, who stood right behind her desk and watched every move she made.
Diego asked his friend to stop crowding him so he could have some space to think.
A group of reporters crowded into the narrow hallway, each one shouting questions at the mayor.
- press
more physical; 'press' suggests pushing against something, while 'crowd' focuses on closeness without necessarily pushing
- squeeze
stronger physical force; 'squeeze into a space' means using force to fit, whereas 'crowd' may just mean being close
- jostle
more active; 'jostle' means pushing roughly against people in a crowd, while 'crowd' can describe simply standing too close
- leave alone
opposite in the sense of giving someone personal space
- stay back
opposite action — to keep distance instead of drawing close
文法句型
crowd + someone
crowd around / crowd in / crowd into
用法筆記
Object is usually a person or animal that feels pressured because their personal space is invaded. Frequently used in continuous form (crowding/crowded)
常見錯誤
crowding — noun
1. a large number of people gathered together in one place, or many similar things
a large number of people gathered together in one place, or many similar things placed very close together
A crowd of fans waited outside the stadium for hours before the game started.
a crowd of + people
There was a huge crowd at the night market, with people pushing past each other in the narrow lanes.
Kwame could barely see the paintings on the wall because a crowd of visitors was blocking his view.
Crowds of tourists filled the main square every evening during the summer festival.
A crowd of small wooden houses lined the narrow streets of the old fishing village.
- handful
a small number; 'a handful of people' is the opposite of a crowd
文法句型
a crowd of + noun (people / things)
crowds of + noun
用法筆記
Can apply to both people and objects. For objects, it emphasises things packed closely together, like houses on a street or stars in the sky.
常見錯誤
2. a group of people who share a common interest, lifestyle, habit, or social circl
a group of people who share a common interest, lifestyle, habit, or social circle — often a person's friends or regular companions
Omar hangs out with the art crowd — they spend every weekend at galleries and exhibitions.
the [interest] crowd: a group defined by a shared interest
Wei started spending time with a different crowd after joining the university cycling club.
Amara never really fit in with the popular crowd at school, so she found friends in the drama club instead.
Layla and her crowd always sit at the same table in the corner of the cafeteria.
Jack knew he did not belong to the business crowd; he felt much more at home with artists and musicians.
- circle
softer; 'circle' suggests a close group of friends, while 'crowd' can include acquaintances with a shared interest
- set
similar; 'the literary set' means the same as 'the literary crowd', but 'set' sounds slightly more old-fashioned
- gang
more informal and closer; 'my gang' suggests a tight group of friends, but can also imply a negative meaning
文法句型
the + [adjective] + crowd
somebody's crowd
用法筆記
Often follows a defining adjective or noun that identifies the shared trait (the theatre crowd, the cool crowd, the yoga crowd). The speaker is typically outside or partly outside the group they are describing.