teeming
/'ti:miɳ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Abundantly filled with, swarming with: Used to describe a place, area, or thing that is extremely full of people, animals, or things, often to the point of being crowded or overflowing.
- Producing or yielding abundantly: Used to describe something that is highly fertile or prolific.
Usage
- The primary use of "teeming" is as an adjective to modify a noun, indicating an overwhelming abundance, especially of living things.
- It often carries a connotation of active, bustling, or swarming life.
- It is typically used before the noun it describes (e.g., "the teeming city") or after a linking verb like "was" or "is" (e.g., "the market was teeming").
Examples
- The teeming metropolis never sleeps, with people crowding the streets at all hours.
- After the rain, the garden was teeming with insects and earthworms.
- Biologists studied the teeming life in the coral reef.
- She felt overwhelmed by the teeming crowds at the festival.
Advanced Usage
- "Teeming with": This is the most common construction. It is used to specify what the subject is full of.
- The old book was teeming with useful information.
- His mind was teeming with new ideas.
Variants and Related Words
- Teem (verb): To be full of or swarming with; to abound. To pour down (rain) heavily.
- The river teems with fish.
- It has been teeming rain all day.
- Teemingly (adverb, rare): In a teeming manner.
Synonyms
- Swarming: Moving in or forming a large, dense crowd.
- Abounding: Existing in very large numbers or quantities.
- Crawling: Covered or crowded with moving people or things (informal).
- Prolific: Producing much fruit or foliage or many offspring; present in large numbers.
- Thronged: Filled with a crowd.
Antonyms
- Deserted: Empty of people.
- Barren: Too poor to produce much or any vegetation; unproductive.
- Sparse: Thinly dispersed or scattered.
- Devoid: Entirely lacking or free from.
Adjective
- abundantly filled with especially living things
- the Third World's teeming millions
- the teeming boulevard