congestion
congestion — noun
1. the situation where a place has so many people, vehicles, or objects packed into
the situation where a place has so many people, vehicles, or objects packed into it that moving around or using the space becomes hard.
Parents waiting at the school gates create heavy congestion every afternoon at pickup time.
congestion + at [place]
Mayor Imran promised to ease congestion in the old market district by widening the lanes.
ease + congestion
Visitor congestion around the museum entrance forced staff to set up a one-way queue.
There was so much congestion in the corridor that students had to push through sideways.
- overcrowding
near-synonym; emphasises too many people specifically
- crowding
more neutral; does not always imply difficulty
- spaciousness
the opposite quality of having room to move
文法句型
congestion in [place]
congestion at [place]
用法筆記
Always uncountable; never 'a congestion' or 'congestions'. Refers to the crowded state itself, not the people or objects causing it.
常見錯誤
2. the state of roads being so full of cars, buses, and lorries that they barely mo
the state of roads being so full of cars, buses, and lorries that they barely move, slowing every journey.
Heavy congestion on the M25 added ninety minutes to Yael's drive home from the airport.
heavy + congestion + on [road]
London introduced a charge to reduce congestion in the city centre during weekday mornings.
reduce + congestion
The new bus lane has cut traffic congestion along Roosevelt Avenue by nearly a third.
Hiroshi checked the radio for reports of congestion on Highway 5 before leaving for the airport.
Camila avoids the bridge at rush hour because the congestion can stretch back two miles.
- gridlock
stronger; suggests vehicles are completely stuck
- traffic jam
countable; refers to one specific blockage rather than the general state
- tailback
British; the queue of stopped vehicles itself
- free-flowing traffic
the opposite condition where vehicles move at normal speed
文法句型
traffic congestion
congestion on [road]
用法筆記
Most common sense in news and urban planning contexts. Often modified by 'traffic', 'rush-hour', or 'heavy'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is specifically about vehicles on roads, not people in places.
常見錯誤
3. a stuffed feeling in the nose, caused by the lining swelling up so air cannot pa
a stuffed feeling in the nose, caused by the lining swelling up so air cannot pass through easily — typical of colds, flu, or allergies.
Owen woke with such bad nasal congestion that he could only breathe through his mouth.
nasal + congestion
The pharmacist gave Niamh menthol drops and a steam inhaler to relieve her congestion before bedtime.
relieve + congestion
Every April, Mateusz suffers weeks of congestion and watery eyes from the birch pollen.
Sana's congestion cleared after two days on the antihistamine her doctor prescribed.
- stuffiness
more informal; common in everyday speech rather than medical labels
- blockage
general; can apply to any passage, not specifically the nose
文法句型
nasal congestion
congestion in [body part]
用法筆記
Frequently appears as the fixed phrase 'nasal congestion' on medicine packaging. The noun stays uncountable even when the cause is plural ('the congestion from his allergies', not 'the congestions').
常見錯誤
4. a medical condition where extra blood or fluid builds up inside an organ such as
a medical condition where extra blood or fluid builds up inside an organ such as the lungs or liver, making it heavy and unable to work normally.
Pulmonary congestion was visible on the chest scan, suggesting the patient's heart was struggling.
pulmonary + congestion
Dr. Léa explained that liver congestion develops when blood backs up from a weakened heart.
[organ] + congestion + can develop
Severe pulmonary congestion is often brought on by untreated heart valve disease in older patients.
Dr. Okonkwo prescribed diuretic tablets to reduce the congestion in Mr. Hartley's failing heart.
文法句型
congestion of [organ]
[organ] congestion
用法筆記
Used in clinical and veterinary writing; everyday speakers normally say 'fluid on the lungs'. Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 is about the nose during a cold, while sense 4 refers to fluid pooling deep inside an internal organ.