Definition

1. 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

1. abundantly filled with especially living things
   • the Third World's teeming millions
   • the teeming boulevard