# cram

> English word · Verb · IPA /kɹæm/ · frequency rank #24,128

## Definitions
1. To press, force, or drive, particularly in filling, or in thrusting one thing into another; to stuff; to fill to superfluity.
2. To fill with food to satiety; to stuff.
3. To put hastily through an extensive course of memorizing or study, as in preparation for an examination.
4. To study hard; to swot.
5. To eat greedily, and to satiety; to stuff oneself.
6. To lie; to intentionally not tell the truth.
7. To make (a person) believe false or exaggerated tales.

## Etymology
From Middle English crammen, from Old English crammian (“to cram; stuff”), from Proto-West Germanic *krammōn, from Proto-Germanic *krammōną, a secondary verb derived from *krimmaną (“to stuff”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to assemble; collect; gather”). Compare Old English crimman (“to cram; stuff; insert; press; bruise”), Icelandic kremja (“to squeeze; crush; bruise”).

## Easily confused with
- **cry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cry)
- **cum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cum)
- **CSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-csa)
- **CRT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crt)
- **CRM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crm)
- **CRS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crs)
- **CRO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cro)
- **CTA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cta)
- **CRI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cri)
- **cru** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cru)
- **CSM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-csm)
- **crew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crew)
- **crap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crap)
- **crop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crop)
- **Cruz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cruz)
- **crow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crow)
- **crib** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crib)
- **crux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-crux)
- **Cree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cree)
- **cray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cram-vs-cray)

## Common misspellings (6)
`carm`, `ccram`, `cramm`, `crma`, `crram`, `rcam`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cram