What does "throng" mean?
Throng: A great multitude; as, the heavenly throng. Any great number of persons form a multitude; a throng is a large number of persons who are gathered or are moving together in a collective body; a crowd is composed of a large or small number of persons who press together so as to bring their bodies into immediate or inconvenient contact. A dispersed multitude; the throngs in the streets of a city; the crowd at a fair or a street fight. But these distinctions are not carefully observed. So, with this bold opposer rushes on This many-headed monster, multitude. Daniel. Not to know me argues yourselves unknown, The lowest of your throng. Milton. I come from empty noise, and tasteless pomp, From crowds that hide a monarch from himself. Johnson.
Additional senses
- 2.To crowd together; to press together into a close body, as a multitude of persons; to gather or move in multitudes. I have seen the dumb men throng to see him. Shak.
- 3.To crowd, or press, as persons; to oppress or annoy with a crowd of living beings. Much people followed him, and thronged him. Mark v.
- 4.2. To crowd into; to fill closely by crowding or pressing into, as a hall or a street. Shak.
- 5.Thronged; crowded; also, much occupied; busy. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Bp. Sanderson. To the intent the sick . . . should not lie too throng. Robynson (More's Utopia).
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00