What it means
Means absolutely packed out, with no breathing room and barely space to blink, never mind move. You use it for pubs, trains, roads, shops, gigs, anywhere that's heaving. Proper everyday British English. The sort of word you mutter when you wanted a quiet one and walked into full-body chaos.
Usage examples
"The last train home was rammed, I stood the whole way with my face in a stranger's rucksack."
"We turned up early because the gig was bound to be rammed, and good job too, it sold out."
"Do not bother with that pub on a Friday, it is always rammed and you wait twenty minutes just to get served."
"The Tube was absolutely rammed this morning, had someone's umbrella basically in my kidneys."
"We skipped that café because it was rammed and there was no chance of getting a table."
Where it comes from
It’s a straight extension of the verb ram, which has meant to force something hard into a space for centuries. By the 20th century, British English was happily using rammed for places, roads, and transport that felt crammed to the hilt with people, cars, or general human faff.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
