Congestion
/kənˈdʒɛstʃən/
Definitions
An excessive accumulation of something, especially fluids in a body part or vehicles on a road.
/kənˈdʒɛstʃən/
Excessive accumulation or overcrowding of something.
The city center suffers from severe traffic congestion during rush hour.
💡 Simply: Think of when you're trying to get to school or work, but all the roads are packed with cars, so you're late. That's congestion in action, but we also use it for when parts of your body get all blocked up too, like when you have a stuffy nose!
👶 For kids: When there's too much of something in one place, like when too many cars are on a road, or when your nose is full of snot!
More Examples
The patient experienced nasal congestion due to a cold.
Overcrowding and congestion in the city can lead to sanitation problems.
How It's Used
"Pulmonary congestion can lead to difficulty breathing."
"Traffic congestion caused delays for commuters."
"City planners are working to reduce population congestion."
Idioms & expressions
traffic congestion
A situation in which there are too many vehicles on a road or in an area, causing slow movement or delays.
"The city is working on solutions to alleviate traffic congestion."
nasal congestion
A blocked or stuffy nose.
"The patient complained of severe nasal congestion."
From Latin *congerere* ('to heap up, to accumulate'), influenced by *gestio* ('a carrying, bearing'). The word originally referred to a gathering of things, and later, to an excessive accumulation of fluids or traffic.
Historically, congestion was used in a variety of contexts but was often associated with medical conditions and overcrowded spaces.
Memory tip
Imagine a traffic jam - everything is packed together and moving slowly, or maybe even not at all. That's congestion!