packed like sardines
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Densely packed; tightly squeezed together; crammed.
Register: informal
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
I'm pretty claustrophobic, so I didn't wanna hop in the elevator with them all packed like sardines in there.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org). Figurative class: Simile (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “packed like sardines” mean?
Densely packed; tightly squeezed together; crammed.
Is “packed like sardines” formal or informal?
packed like sardines is generally informal.