What does "throng" mean?
A group of people crowded or gathered closely together.
Throng
/θɹɔŋ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A group of people crowded or gathered closely together.
- Grammar: throng is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: multitude, a great number, a mass of, a world of.
- Useful contrasts: disperse, empty, few.
- Usage evidence: The throng protested against abortion.
How to use "throng"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "throng" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "throng" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "throng" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "throng" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "throng" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "multitude" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "throng", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A group of people crowded or gathered closely together.
"Not to know me argues yourselves unknown, The lowest of your throng."
- 2 a large gathering of people wordnet
- 3 A group of things; a host or swarm.
"Bloody corpses, broken bones reveal / A throng of clashes crushed, our nightmare sealed / Amongst the shadows and the stones"
Verb
- 1 To crowd into a place, especially to fill it. transitive
"By one o'clock the place was choc-a-bloc. […] The restaurant was packed, and the promenade between the two main courts and the subsidiary courts was thronged with healthy-looking youngish people, drawn to the Mecca of tennis from all parts of the country."
- 2 press tightly together or cram wordnet
- 3 To congregate. intransitive
"[…]I have seen the dumb men throng to see him and / The blind to bear him speak:[…]"
- 4 To crowd or press, as persons; to oppress or annoy with a crowd of living beings. transitive
"Much people followed him, and thronged him."
Adjective
- 1 Filled with persons or objects; crowded. Northern-England, Scotland
"Earth, sweet Earth, sweet landscape, with leavès throng / And louchèd low grass, heaven that dost appeal / To, with no tongue to plead, no heart to feel; / That canst but only be, but dost that long— […]"
- 2 Busy; hurried. Northern-England, Scotland
"Mr Shaw was very civil; he said he was rather throng just now, but if Ernest did not mind the sound of hammering he should be very glad of a talk with him."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The throng protested against abortion."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "throng"?
Common synonyms include: multitude, a great number, a mass of, a world of, abound, abound with.
How do you use "throng" in a sentence?
The throng protested against abortion.
How do you pronounce "throng"?
Pronounced /θɹɔŋ/.
Etymology
From Middle English throng, thrang, from Old English þrang, ġeþrang (“crowd, press, tumult”), from Proto-Germanic *þrangwą, *þrangwō (“throng”), from *þrangwaz (“pressing, narrow”), from Proto-Indo-European *trenkʷ- (“to beat; pound; hew; press”). Cognate with Dutch drang, German Drang. Compare also German Gedränge (“throng”).