congested

adjective

con·​gest·​ed kən-ˈje-stəd 

1

: extremely or excessively full or crowded

… it must be clear that the continuance is not being granted solely because of the court's congested calendar.

—The National Law Journal

Under the pressure of the weather conditions, congested traffic and wind shear, the crew never was able to stabilize the airplane on the ILS approach into JFK and had to execute a missed approach.

—Patrick R. Veillette

2

medical : containing an excessive accumulation especially of blood or mucus

congested lungs/sinuses

Examples of congested in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite the capacity to sleep more than 20 people, the configuration of the two units is cleverly designed to keep traffic dispersed, allowing the house to accommodate a full roster of guests without feeling congested. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 14 Jan. 2026

Cinnamon may help clear congested airways and thin mucus. —Kristina Herndon, Verywell Health, 13 Jan. 2026

But managers across the Premier League are happier to press City, meaning the congested areas of the pitch where Foden thrives are appearing further and further away from goal. —Thom Harris, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026

Dallas-Fort Worth is home to 41 of the state’s most congested roadways, according to a 2025 study by Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute. —Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1830, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for congested

• arrested
• attested
• contested
• detested
• digested
• divested
• infested
• ingested
• invested
• molested
• pretested
• protested

Medical Definition

congested

adjective

con·​gest·​ed kən-ˈjes-təd 

: containing an excessive accumulation especially of blood or mucus

congested mucous membranes

congested lungs