congestion
kuhn-JES-chuhn
/kənˈdʒɛstʃən/
The state of being overcrowded or blocked, especially with traffic or mucus.
In urban pollution, it is the primary cause of localized smog and emission spikes.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'congerere', meaning 'to heap up' or 'to bring together'. It originally referred to piling up goods or wealth before being used for medical and traffic blockages.
Word relationships
- gridlock: Gridlock is a total standstill; congestion is just heavy, slow-moving traffic.
- flow: Smooth, uninterrupted movement.
Commonly confused with
- crowding: Crowding refers to people; congestion usually refers to vehicles or biological passages.
Word family
- congested (adjective): Overcrowded or blocked.
- congest (verb): To become blocked.
Collocations
- traffic congestion
- nasal congestion
- congestion pricing
Example sentences
- "The new congestion charge successfully reduced the number of vehicles entering the city center." City planning report.
- "Traffic congestion is not just a nuisance; it is a major source of urban air degradation." Environmental impact of cars.
Memory hook
Con-Gestion: When you 'Gest' (carry) too many things 'Con' (together), you get a jam. Traffic jam.
When not to use
Can be used for 'nasal congestion', but in this group, it refers to 'traffic congestion'.
Fun facts
- The average driver in Los Angeles spends over 100 hours a year stuck in traffic congestion.
Related words
Explore more words
bottleneck, gridlock, logjam, stagnation, obstruct, standstill
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