crowd

The word “crowd” means a large number of people gathered closely together. In plain terms, a big bunch of people packed together, or the act of packing closely into a space.

“Crowd” is pronounced KROWD (/ˈkɹaʊ̯d/ in IPA).

Here is “crowd” used in a sentence: “A crowd formed outside the stadium hours before kickoff.”

Words with a similar meaning to “crowd” include becrowd, assemblage, congregation, flock, huddle and legion.

Depending on how it is used, “crowd” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “crowd” comes from Old English. From Old English crūdan ("to press, push"), related to words in German and Dutch meaning to shove or push.

“Crowd” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Crowd” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large number of people gathered closely together.

A crowd is simply a large number of people gathered in one place, and the word is neutral. A mob is a crowd that has turned disorderly, angry, or violent. Every mob is a crowd, but a peaceful crowd only becomes a mob when it loses control and grows aggressive.

Sociologists often group crowds by behaviour. A casual crowd is a loose gathering, like shoppers on a street. A conventional crowd attends a planned event, such as a concert. An expressive crowd shares emotion, as at a festival, and an acting crowd is driven toward a goal, sometimes aggressively.

Spectators packed into a football stadium, shoppers filling a busy market, commuters crammed onto a train platform, and fans gathered at a concert are all crowds. The key idea is many people close together in one place at the same time, whether calm or excited.

On its own, 'crowd' is neutral — it simply describes many people together. Tone comes from context. 'A crowd of supporters' sounds positive, while 'lost in the crowd' can feel lonely and 'an unruly crowd' sounds negative. The word takes its colour from the words around it.