name · noun · verb · 44 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation, US:/ˈd͡ʒæm/
[ˈd͡ʒeəm] ~ [ˈd͡ʒɛəm]US, æ-raising
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
British, Southern, Standard:/ˈd͡ʒam/
British, Southern, Standard:/ˈd͡ʒaːm/
SSBRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
SSBRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
SSBRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:/ˈdʒæːm/
[ˈd͡ʒeːm] ~ [ˈd͡ʒɛːm]Australia, æ-raising
homophone: jamb
rhymes with -æm
CMU ARPABET:JH AE1 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
Abbreviation of Jamaica.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncommon, uncountable
Examples
He is allergic to jam.
She loves eating jam for breakfast in hotels.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: conserve, jelly, preserve
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A difficult situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ass in a sling, bind, bucket of syrup, calvary, cauldron, cross, cross to bear, difficulty, dilemma, dire straits, doghouse, fix, hole, jam, kettle, kettle of fish, ordeal, pickle, pinch, plight, predicament, quandary, quagmire, situation, spot, spot of bother, sticky situation, sticky wicket, tight spot, trouble
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A difficult situation.
A difficult situation for a pitcher or defending team.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
The pitcher's in a jam now, having walked the bases loaded with the cleanup hitter coming to bat.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ass in a sling, bind, bucket of syrup, calvary, cauldron, cross, cross to bear, difficulty, dilemma, dire straits, doghouse, fix, hole, jam, kettle, kettle of fish, ordeal, pickle, pinch, plight, predicament, quandary, quagmire, situation, spot, spot of bother, sticky situation, sticky wicket, tight spot, trouble
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A blockage, congestion, or immobilization.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
a jam on the 101 South, blocking the two right lanes [radio report]
a jam of logs in a river
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: jam-up
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
An informal, impromptu performance or rehearsal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: common, countable
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A song; a track.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable, informal
Examples
pump up the jam
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
An informal event where people brainstorm and collaborate on projects.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable
Examples
We came up with some new ideas at the game jam.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
That which one particularly prefers, desires, enjoys, or cares about.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, slang
Examples
Teaching is my jam.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cup of tea, affinity, bag, bent, cup of coffee, cup of joe, dish, fancy, jam, liking, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, preference, proclivity, propension, propensity, shine, taste, thing
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
A forceful dunk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: crush, press
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: crowd
Narrower terms: traffic jam, snarl-up
37
noun
Meaning 37
informal terms for a difficult situation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he got into a terrible fix
he made a muddle of his marriage
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fix, hole, mess, muddle, pickle, kettle of fish
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: difficulty
Narrower terms: dog's breakfast, dog's dinner
38
verb
Meaning 38
interfere with or prevent the reception of signals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Jam the Voice of America
block the signals emitted by this station
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: block
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off
Narrower terms: barrage jam, point jam, spot jam, blanket jam
39
verb
Meaning 39
block passage through
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
obstruct the path
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: obstruct, obturate, impede, occlude, block, close up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: impede, hinder
Narrower terms: blockade, block off, barricade, barricado, suffocate, stifle, asphyxiate, choke, tie up, dam, dam up, screen, block out, land up, earth up, block, stop, block up, bar, clog, choke off, clog up, back up, congest, foul
40
verb
Meaning 40
crush or bruise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
jam a toe
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: crush
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bruise, contuse
41
verb
Meaning 41
crowd or pack to capacity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the theater was jampacked
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: jampack, ram, chock up, cram, wad
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: stuff
42
verb
Meaning 42
get stuck and immobilized
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the mechanism jammed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: malfunction, misfunction
43
verb
Meaning 43
push down forcibly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The driver jammed the brake pedal to the floor
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: push, force
44
verb
Meaning 44
press tightly together or cram
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The crowd packed the auditorium
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: throng, mob, pack, pile
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: crowd, crowd together
History
Etymology
First attested in the early 18th c. as a verb meaning “to press, be pressed, be wedged in”. Compare dialectal jammock (“to press, squeeze, crush into a soft mass, chew food"; also "a soft, pulpy substance”). Perhaps from Middle English chammen, champen ("to bite upon something, gnash the teeth"; whence modern champ, chomp), of uncertain origin; probably originally onomatopoeic. The "performance" sense is first attested with regards to jazz in 1929, and its origin, though uncertain, is likely metaphorical, "something sweet made by the combination of many things", with influence from jamboree.
Borrowed from Persian جامه (“garment”) and/or Hindustani (Hindi जामा (jāmā) / Urdu جامہ (jāma)), meaning "garment, robe". Related to pajamas and pyjamas.
Initialism, from just about managing.
Across languages
Translations
323 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
konfyt
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Afrikaans:
jam
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Albanian:
reçel
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Arabic:
مُرَبًّى
(murabban)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Arabic:
مربى
(meraba)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Arabic:
مُرَبَّى
(murabba)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Armenian:
ջեմ
(ǰem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Armenian:
մուրաբա
(muraba)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Azerbaijani:
mürəbbə
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Azerbaijani:
riçal
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Azerbaijani:
cem
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Azerbaijani:
povidlo
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Belarusian:
джэм
(džem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Belarusian:
варэ́нне
(varénnje)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Belarusian:
мармела́д
(marmjelád)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Belarusian:
паві́дла
(pavídla)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Bengali:
জ্যাম
(jêm)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Bulgarian:
конфитю́р
(konfitjúr)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Bulgarian:
сла́дко
(sládko)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Bulgarian:
джем
(džem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Burmese:
ယို
(yui)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Catalan:
melmelada
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Chinese Cantonese:
果占
(gwo2 zem1)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Chinese Cantonese:
占
(zem1)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Chinese Mandarin:
果醬 /果酱
(guǒjiàng)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Cornish:
kyfeyth
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Czech:
džem
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Czech:
marmeláda
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Danish:
marmelade
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Danish:
syltetøj
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Dutch:
confituur
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Dutch:
jam
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Esperanto:
fruktaĵo
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Estonian:
moos
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Faroese:
frukt súlta
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Finnish:
hillo
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
French:
confiture
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
French:
marmelade
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Georgian:
მურაბა
(muraba)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Georgian:
ჯემი
(ǯemi)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
German:
Marmelade
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
German:
Konfitüre
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Greek:
μαρμελάδα
(marmeláda)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Hebrew:
רִיבָה
(ribá)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Hindi:
जाम
(jām)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Hindi:
मुरब्बा
(murabbā)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Hungarian:
dzsem
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Hungarian:
íz
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Hungarian:
lekvár
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Hungarian:
gyümölcsíz
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Icelandic:
sulta
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Ido:
konfitajo
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Indonesian:
selai
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Ingrian:
varenja
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Irish:
subh
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Italian:
marmellata
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Italian:
confettura
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Japanese:
ジャム
(jamu)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Kaitag:
мереппа
(mereppa)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Kazakh:
джем
(djem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Kazakh:
тосап
(tosap)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Khmer:
ដំណាប់
(dɑmnap)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Khmer:
តំណាប់
(tɑmnap)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Korean:
잼
(jaem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Northern Kurdish:
rîçal
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Northern Kurdish:
mirabe
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Kyrgyz:
джем
(djem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Kyrgyz:
варенье
(varenye)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Lao:
ກວນ
(kūan)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Latgalian:
vuoreklis
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Latin:
condītus
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Latvian:
ievārījums
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Lithuanian:
uogienė
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Luxembourgish:
Gebeess
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Macedonian:
џем
(džem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Macedonian:
слатко
(slatko)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Malay:
jem
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Malay:
selai
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Malay:
jelai
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Māori:
tiamu
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Māori:
hāma
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Mongolian:
жимсний чанамал
(žimsnii čanamal)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Mongolian:
варень
(varenʹ)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Mongolian:
жимсний ээдэн
(žimsnii eeden)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Mongolian:
ᠵᠢᠮᠢᠰ ᠦᠨ ᠴᠢᠨᠠᠮᠠᠯ
(ǰimis-ün činamal)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Mongolian:
ᠸᠠᠷᠧᠨᠢ
(warēni)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Mongolian:
ᠵᠢᠮᠢᠰ ᠦᠨ ᠡᠭᠡᠳᠡᠩ
(ǰimis-ün egedeng)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Norman:
g'lée
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Norwegian Bokmål:
syltetøy
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Norwegian Nynorsk:
syltetøy
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Norwegian Nynorsk:
syltety
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Occitan:
confitura
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Pashto:
مربا
(morabã)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Dari:
مُرَبَّا
(murabbā)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Iranian Persian:
مُرَبَّا
(morabbâ)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Iranian Persian:
ریچار
(ričâr)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Polish:
dżem
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Portuguese:
geleia
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Portuguese:
compota
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Romanian:
gem
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Romanian:
marmeladă
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Russian:
джем
(džem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Russian:
варе́нье
(varénʹje)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Russian:
конфитю́р
(konfitjúr)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Russian:
пови́дло
(povídlo)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Russian:
мармела́д
(marmelád)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Saanich:
ĆÁM
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Northern Sami:
meastu
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Scottish Gaelic:
silidh
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Serbo-Croatian:
џе̏м
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Serbo-Croatian:
пѐкмез
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Serbo-Croatian:
сла̀тко̄
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Serbo-Croatian:
džȅm
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Serbo-Croatian:
pèkmez
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Serbo-Croatian:
slàtkō
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Shuswap:
tiq̓ústen
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Sinhalese:
ජෑම්
(jǣm)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Slovak:
džem
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Slovene:
marmelada
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Lower Sorbian:
marmelada
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Lower Sorbian:
konfitira
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Upper Sorbian:
marmelada
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Upper Sorbian:
konfitira
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Spanish:
mermelada
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Swahili:
jemu
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Swedish:
sylt
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Swedish:
marmelad
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Tagalog:
diyam
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Tajik:
джем
(džem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Tajik:
мураббо
(murabbo)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Thai:
แยม
(yɛɛm)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Turkish:
reçel
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Turkish:
murabba
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Turkmen:
mürepbe
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Turkmen:
bal
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Turkmen:
powidlo
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Ukrainian:
джем
(džem)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Ukrainian:
варе́ння
(varénnja)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Ukrainian:
мармела́д
(marmelád)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Ukrainian:
пови́дло
(povýdlo)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Urdu:
جام
(jām)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Urdu:
مُرَبَّا
(murabbā)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Uyghur:
مۇراببا
(murabba)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Uyghur:
ۋارىنا
(warina)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Uyghur:
ۋارىنە
(warine)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Uzbek:
murabbo
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Vietnamese:
mứt
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Volapük:
konfit
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Welsh:
jam
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Welsh:
cyffaith
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Yiddish:
פּאָווידלע
(povidle)
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar
Yup'ik:
siliyaq
— sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar