congestion

[ kuhn-jes-chuhn ]

noun

1. overcrowding; clogging:

   severe traffic congestion.

2. an excessive or abnormal accumulation of blood or other fluid in a body part or blood vessel:

   pulmonary congestion.

congestion

/ kənˈdʒɛstʃən /

noun

1. the state of being overcrowded, esp with with traffic or people
2. the state of being overloaded or clogged with blood
3. the state of being blocked with mucus

Other Words From

• noncon·gestion noun
• precon·gestion noun
• super·con·gestion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of congestion¹

From the Latin word congestiō, dating back to 1585–95. See congest, -ion

Example Sentences

Shops and the stock market opened late on Thursday to reduce traffic congestion, and authorities adjusted public transport operating hours and put more than a dozen spare trains on standby in case of breakdowns.

From BBC

Pictures circulating online showed serious congestion on the main roads from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng.

From BBC

He died in 1985 when the aircraft he was onboard taking aerial photographs of traffic congestion crashed.

From BBC

But even though I bike on the beach at other times, I’d never thought of riding a few extra blocks to avoid the last two miles of congestion and enjoy a beautiful bicycle ride through paradise every workday.

From Los Angeles Times

"Residents in Turf Lodge have been plagued for decades with issues around parking and congestion. The infrastructure is outdated and the roads are not fit for purpose," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• bottleneck
• overpopulation
• traffic jam