Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense teems, present participle teeming, past tense, past participle teemed
verb [usually cont]
If you say that a place is teemingwith people or animals, you mean that it is crowded and the people and animals are moving around a lot.
For most of the year, the area is teeming with tourists. [VERB + with]
More Synonyms of teem
teem in British English1
(tiːm)
verb
1. (intransitive; usually foll bywith)
to be prolific or abundant (in); abound (in)
2. obsolete
to bring forth (young)
Word origin
Old English tēman to produce offspring; related to West Saxon tīeman; see team
teem in British English2
(tiːm)
verb
1. (intr; often foll by down or with rain)
to pour in torrents
it's teeming down
2. (transitive)
to pour or empty out
Derived forms
teemer (ˈteemer)
noun
Word origin
C15 temen to empty, from Old Norse tœma; related to Old English tōm, Old High German zuomīg empty
teem in American English1
(tim)
verb intransitive
1. Obsolete
to produce offspring; bear
2.
to be full, as though ready to bring forth young; abound; swarm
a river teeming with fish
Word origin
ME temen < OE tieman, to produce, bear < base of team, progeny: see team
teem in American English2
(tim)
verb transitive
1.
to empty; pour out
verb intransitive
2.
to pour
a teeming rain
Word origin
ME temen < ON tœma, to empty
Examples of 'teem' in a sentence
teem
The place would be teeming with people and they'd get a return.
The Sun (2017)
The fantasy of oceans teeming with life is tantalisingly achievable.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
If the universe is teeming with planets it could also be teeming with life.
The Sun (2006)
What all three find on their return are prosperous islands bathed in summer sunshine and teeming with wildlife.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The terminal was teeming with people, which made our final moments more hazardous.
Christianity Today (2000)
The hotel had about 65 bedrooms and was always teeming with people.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Sao Paulo itself is a teeming place.
The Sun (2012)
These are portraits of a different kind, of a river and its teeming life.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Despite the violence, large parts of the city are clogged with traffic and teeming with life.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But all the same, the place is jumping with birds and already teeming with life.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This means no fires on land and no fishing offshore, so the island is teeming with life.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I can only see it getting better as it's teeming with small fish for the future.
The Sun (2007)
This area, once teeming with life, is dead.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Other areas, once teeming neighbourhoods, would effectively be abandoned.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This was the world's fourth largest lake, teeming with fish.
The Sun (2012)
Fish and foul The river's filthy but teeming with fish.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This year's challenge took place in teeming rain and wind, making it a serious test.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This is the wettest and wildest landscape in Britain, teeming with wildlife.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Despite the lack of shops, the street is teeming with life on a February weekday.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The whole city was decked out with the red and white colours of Bayern, and the place was teemingwith fans.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
When they reach the top, he extends his arm in an expansive gesture to encompass the teeming wildlife, white sands and shimmering azure sea visible below.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The result is a wilderness of ethereal beauty, teeming with wildlife that regards human beings as curious oddities, and a haunting loneliness that is almost tangible.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
teem
British English: teem VERB
If you say that a place is teeming with people or animals, you mean that it is crowded and the people and animals are moving around a lot.
For most of the year, the area is teeming with tourists.
American English: teem
Brazilian Portuguese: abundar
Chinese: 挤满
European Spanish: abarrotar
French: grouiller
German: wimmeln
Italian: brulicare
Japanese: 充満している
Korean: 들끓다
European Portuguese: abundar
Latin American Spanish: abarrotar
Chinese translation of 'teem'
teem
(tiːm)
vi
to be teeming with[visitors, tourists etc]充满(滿) (chōngmǎn)
(verb)
Definition
to have a great number of
The forest below him seethed and teemed with life.
Synonyms
be full of
abound
swarm
Within minutes the area was swarming with officers.
bristle
The country bristles with armed groups.
brim
overflow
be abundant
burst at the seams
be prolific
be crawling
pullulate
(verb)
Definition
(of rain) to pour down in torrents
The wedding was supposed to be outside but it teemed with rain.
Synonyms
pour
It has been pouring all week.
lash
pelt (down)
sheet
stream
Tears streamed down their faces.
belt (slang)
bucket down (informal)
rain cats and dogs (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bristle
Definition
to be thickly covered or set
The country bristles with armed groups.
Synonyms
abound,
crawl,
be alive,
hum,
swarm,
teem,
be thick
in the sense of stream
Definition
to pour in a continuous flow
Tears streamed down their faces.
Synonyms
flow,
run,
pour,
course,
issue,
flood,
shed,
spill,
emit,
glide,
cascade,
gush,
spout
in the sense of swarm
Definition
to be overrun
Within minutes the area was swarming with officers.