teeming with people

USAGE SUMMARY

'teeming with people' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation when a place is filled with a large number of people. For example: The streets of downtown were teeming with people.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Platforms were teeming with people.

The Economist

China is teeming with people, but nobody vexes anyone..

The New Yorker

China is teeming with people, but nobody vexes anyone...

The New Yorker

The excitement is palpable, the bunting's up and the city is already teeming with people.

Independent

Down the road, the village of Nzibira is teeming with people like them.

The New York Times

Each of the five floors was teeming with people of all ages.

The New Yorker

They are either teeming with people during the buying season, or largely empty.

The New York Times

"It was teeming with people all ready to have a wonderful evening," he said.

The New York Times

The streets are teeming with people like something out of the Arabian Nights.

The Guardian - Travel

Despite living in a town teeming with people who knew how to make jeans, recruitment hasn't been easy.

The Guardian

YAFFA SCHLESINGER'S office at Hunter College commands a magnificent cityscape of soaring towers, graceful bridges and streets teeming with people.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "teeming with people" to vividly describe a place that is bustling and lively, emphasizing the large number of individuals present. This phrase is particularly effective in travel writing, urban descriptions, or narratives where the crowd itself is a significant element of the scene.

Common error

While "teeming with people" is widely understood, it can sound slightly informal in academic or highly professional writing. Consider alternatives like "populated with individuals" or "densely inhabited" for a more serious tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "teeming with people" functions primarily as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun to describe a place or location that is full of people. Ludwig confirms this, providing numerous examples from diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

87%

Science

7%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Science

7%

Formal & Business

6%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "teeming with people" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe a place that is full of people. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is widely used across diverse sources, primarily in news and media. While generally neutral in tone, it's important to consider the context to avoid any unintended informality in more formal writing situations. Related phrases like "crawling with people" or "swarming with people" can offer nuanced variations in meaning, adding precision to your writing. By being aware of these alternatives and potential pitfalls, you can effectively use "teeming with people" to vividly depict crowded scenes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

crawling with people

Suggests a more negative connotation, implying an unpleasant level of crowdedness.

packed with people

Emphasizes the density of the crowd, highlighting how tightly people are situated.

swarming with people

Implies movement and a slightly chaotic feel to the crowd.

thronged with people

A more formal way of saying crowded, often used in descriptive writing.

filled with people

A simpler, more direct way to state that a place is occupied by many people.

overflowing with people

Indicates a capacity being exceeded, suggesting the space can barely contain the crowd.

abundant with people

Focuses on the plentiful number of people present.

brimming with people

Similar to overflowing, suggesting a place is full to the top with people.

alive with people

Conveys a sense of vibrancy and activity due to the presence of many people.

populated with people

A neutral way of stating that people inhabit a certain place.

FAQs

How can I use "teeming with people" in a sentence?

You can use "teeming with people" to describe a place filled with a large crowd, for example: "The market square was "teeming with people" on Saturday morning."

What's a more formal alternative to "teeming with people"?

For more formal contexts, consider using phrases such as "densely populated", "heavily populated", or "crowded with people".

Is "teeming with people" a positive or negative description?

The connotation can vary. It often suggests liveliness and activity, but can also imply overcrowding depending on the context. For example, "The beach was "teeming with people", making it hard to find a spot" might be seen as negative.

What is a similar phrase to "teeming with people" that suggests chaotic movement?

A phrase like "swarming with people" conveys a sense of active, possibly disorganized movement, similar to how insects swarm.