cram

1 of 2

verb

ˈkram 

crammed; cramming

transitive verb

1

: to pack tight : jam

cram a suitcase with clothes

a novel crammed with surprises

2

a

: to fill with food to excess : stuff

b

: to eat voraciously : bolt

The child crams her food.

3

: to thrust in or as if in a rough or forceful manner

crammed the letters into his pocket

4

: to prepare hastily for an examination

cram the students for the test

intransitive verb

1

: to eat greedily or to excess : stuff

2

: to study a subject intensively especially for an imminent examination

crammer noun

cram

2 of 2

noun

1

: a compressed multitude or crowd : crush

2

: last-minute study especially for an examination

Synonyms of cram

Verb

• squeeze
• stuff
• load

Noun

• swarm
• throng
• flock
• crowd
• horde
• multitude

Examples of cram in a Sentence

Verb

He crammed the suitcase with his clothes.

Before the trip I crammed my head with information about Spain.

Noun

battling the rush-hour cram in the subway

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Medicine, for example, is better stored in a dry linen closet than a steamy bathroom, and rolls of backstock toilet paper and paper towels can find a tidier home there rather than crammed under the bathroom sink. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Dec. 2025

Theirs is the kind of loopy side quest that only Cameron has the guts to cram into a Christmastime blockbuster. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025

Noun

By the time students are in middle and high schools, their days often revolve around studying – going straight from regular classes to after-school cram centers known as hagwons until late at night. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

The Nutribullet Ultra crams a 1200-watt motor into its rather slim casing; that’s double the wattage of the Nutribullet Pro blender that’s a step down. —Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English crammen, from Old English crammian; akin to Old Norse kremja to squeeze

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cram

• cram in

Rhymes for cram

• am
• bam
• cham
• clam
• damme
• damn
• dram
• flam
• fram
• gram
• ham
• jam

Kids Definition

cram

verb

ˈkram

crammed; cramming

1

: to stuff or crowd in

cram clothes into a bag

2

: to fill full

barns crammed with hay

3

: to study hard just before a test

crammer noun

Biographical Definition

Cram 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈkram 

Donald James 1919–2001 American chemist

Cram

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Ralph Adams 1863–1942 American architect and author