packed
Americanadjective
-
filled to capacity; full.
They've had a packed theater for every performance.
-
pressed together; dense; compressed.
packed snow.
-
abundantly supplied with a specified element (used in combination).
an action-packed movie.
adjective
-
completely filled; full
a packed theatre
-
(of a picnic type of meal) prepared and put in a container or containers beforehand; prepacked
a packed lunch
Other Word Forms
- mispacked adjective
- well-packed adjective
Etymology
Origin of packed
Explanation
Anything that's packed is either tightly compressed or extremely crowded, like the packed auditorium during your school's annual talent show. Use this adjective for things that are squeezed or pressed together, like a packed snowball or a packed cup of brown sugar. It's also useful for talking about overcrowded spaces of any kind, from a packed house at your band's show to a packed calendar that leaves you no time to catch up on your favorite TV show. A packed suitcase, on the other hand, is ready to go but not necessarily overstuffed.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Alex McKechnie chuckles at the leap of faith he took when he packed up almost all his belongings in Glasgow and booked a one-way flight to Vancouver, Canada on 7 September 1974.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Despite the absence of Manon, the girl group packed the festival field with Eyekons packed shoulder to shoulder as far as the Do Lab.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
In a packed concert venue on Sunday, New York City's youngest mayor in over a century took the stage to tout his achievements during his first 100 days in office.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
On Friday, just a few dozen travellers were in the usually packed departures hall, as porters sat on empty baggage carts and soldiers kept watch at the terminal entrance.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
It might seem like a shelter from the storm, but it really was another asylum packed with a bunch of mangy orphans ready to filch my last possessions while I slept.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
