congestion
/kən'dʤestʃn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- Excessive crowding or accumulation: A state of being overcrowded or blocked, typically referring to traffic or people.
- Medical condition: An excessive accumulation of blood or other fluid in a part of the body, such as the lungs or nasal passages.
Usage and Examples
General Crowding:
- The city is trying to reduce traffic congestion. (The city is attempting to lessen the overcrowding of vehicles on the roads.)
- Congestion in the airport was terrible during the holiday. (The overcrowding in the airport was very bad during the holiday period.)
Medical Context:
- He has nasal congestion and cannot breathe well. (He has an excessive accumulation of fluid in his nasal passages, making breathing difficult.)
- The doctor diagnosed pulmonary congestion. (The doctor identified an excessive accumulation of blood or fluid in the lungs.)
Advanced Usage
"Congestion charge": A fee levied on vehicles entering a congested urban area to reduce traffic.
- London's congestion charge aims to improve air quality. (The fee for driving in central London intends to enhance the quality of the air.)
"Congestion pricing": A system of surcharging users of public goods (like roads) during peak demand periods to manage congestion.
- The city council is debating congestion pricing for the downtown core. (The city council is discussing a system to charge higher fees for road use during busy times in the city center.)
Variants and Related Words
Congest (verb): To cause congestion; to overcrowd or block.
- Rush hour traffic congests the main highways. (The traffic during peak hours overcrowds the primary roads.)
Congestive (adjective): Relating to or involving congestion, especially medically.
- Congestive heart failure is a serious condition. (Heart failure involving fluid accumulation is a severe medical state.)
Synonyms
- Jam: A situation where vehicles are stuck and cannot move (e.g., ).
- Overcrowding: The condition of having too many people or things in one space.
- Clogging: Blocking or becoming blocked.
Antonyms
- Flow: The smooth, uninterrupted movement.
- Clearance: The removal of obstructions; the state of being unobstructed.
Related Phrases
"Ease congestion": To reduce or alleviate overcrowding or blockage.
- The new subway line should ease congestion on the roads. (The new underground railway line is expected to reduce the overcrowding of vehicles on the streets.)
"Bottleneck congestion": Congestion caused by a narrow or restricted point in a system.
- The bridge creates a bottleneck congestion every evening. (The bridge causes traffic overcrowding at a narrow point each evening.)
Noun
- excessive crowding
- traffic congestion
- excessive accumulation of blood or other fluid in a body part