Definition

Adjective: - Describes a scene where a very large number of people or things are moving together continuously in a dense, bustling, and seemingly endless stream. It emphasizes the crowded, busy, and constant flow of movement.

Usage Examples

• (People streamed/flocked to the main square to see the military parade.)
• (People thronged to go see the festival.)
• (Tourists poured into the old town in a continuous stream.)
• (Vehicles moved back and forth in an incessant flow on the road.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used to describe crowds at events, festivals, markets, or traffic. It carries a stronger connotation of density and continuous motion than simple words for "crowded."
• Can sometimes be used metaphorically for non-physical things that come in a large, steady quantity, though this is less common.
  • Ý tưởng nườm nượp xuất hiện trong đầu. (Ideas swarmed/streamed into his head.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đông nghịt (adj): Packed, jam-packed (emphasizes static crowding more than movement).
• Lũ lượt (adv/adj): In droves, in a line or group (suggests a sequential flow, often slightly less dense than "nườm nượp").
• Tấp nập (adj): Bustling, busy (emphasizes lively activity, which often involves the movement implied by "nườm nượp").

Synonyms

• To stream: To move in a continuous flow.
• To flock: To gather or move in a large crowd.
• To throng: To crowd or fill with people.
• To pour: To come or go in a steady, rapid stream.
• Teeming: Swarming with people; very crowded and active.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Nườm nượp như kiến: (To move) as thick as ants. This simile reinforces the image of a dense, countless, and busy procession.
  • Dòng người di cư nườm nượp như kiến. (The stream of migrants moved like a thick column of ants.)

1. Flock, stream
   • Người ta nườm nượp đến quảng trường xem diễu binh
     They flocked to the main square and see a military parade