What does jammed mean?
Jammed describes something that is tightly crowded, such as a road filled with slow-moving traffic, or a mechanism that has stopped working because an object has become wedged in it. People also say that a signal is jammed when it is being deliberately or accidentally disrupted. The word can function as an adjective, as in a jammed door, or as the past tense and past participle of the verb jam, meaning to become stuck or to force something into a confined space. Its vividness comes from the physical idea of material being packed so tightly that nothing can move. Although often used informally, jammed is also entirely standard when describing traffic, machinery, doors, windows, and electronic interference.
Crowded or tightly packed; blocked, stuck, or unable to function normally; deliberately disrupted, especially a signal.
"The entrance was jammed with people waiting to enter."
The signal-disruption sense is commonly informal.
To become stuck or tightly wedged; to force something into a space so that movement is prevented; to interfere deliberately with a signal or communication.
"He jammed the door open with a folded card."
The signal-interference sense is commonly informal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jammed come from?
Jammed was formed by adding the regular inflectional ending -ed to jam. The verb jam originally referred to pressing or squeezing something into a confined space, which led naturally to the meanings of being tightly packed and becoming wedged or stuck. Its later mechanical and signal-related senses developed from these earlier ideas of blockage and obstruction.
Related word forms
How jammed is actually used
The mechanical and crowding senses are standard in British and American English. The sense of deliberately disrupting a signal or communication is informal, though common in journalism and discussion of broadcasting or electronic interference.