congest

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verb con·gest \ kən-ˈjest \

Definition of congest

transitive verb

1 :to concentrate in a small or narrow space

2 :to cause an excessive accumulation especially of blood or mucus in (such as an organ or part)

3 :clog

traffic congested the highways

intransitive verb

:to become congested

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congestion

play \kən-ˈjes-chən, -ˈjesh-\ noun

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congestive

play \kən-ˈje-stiv\ adjective

See congest defined for kids

Examples of congest in a Sentence

the usual weekend traffic congested the region's highways

Recent Examples of congest from the Web

Traffic was heavily congested in the St. Joe area and travelers were being urged to take their time before getting on the road.

— robert a. cronkleton and judy thomas, kansascity, "Eclipse causes traffic jams on Missouri roadways as spectators head home," 21 Aug. 2017
Traffic on Second and Third streets nearby has been congested because of construction work on the Omni Hotel project and the reconstruction of the Kentucky International Convention Center.

— phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "City allows Fourth Street Live to continually close block without permits," 7 Aug. 2017
A second alternative is to come over the Tower Bridge, but that route could be congested at times as well.

— tony bizjak, sacbee, "‘Stay away,’ Caltrans warns. Major freeway lane closures will hit Sacramento this weekend," 20 July 2017
The ARB found that greenhouse-gas emissions fell by 1.5m metric tonnes between 2014 and 2015, which is equivalent to removing 300,000 vehicles from California’s (often congested) roads for a year.

— The Economist, "Paris-on-seaCalifornia pushes on with plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," 20 July 2017
It’s near a streetcar stop and a few blocks south of River Market, which can be horribly congested on Saturday mornings.

— lynn horsley, kansascity.com, "Paid parking is coming to River Market beginning in late July," 3 July 2017
Snag a snack during a detour While avoiding the interstate altogether might avoid major snares, traffic on side routes will be congested with people who had the same idea.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "The ultimate guide to living life through 2 months of Brent Spence Bridge repairs," 1 July 2017
Snag a snack during a detour While avoiding the interstate altogether might avoid major snares, traffic on side routes will be congested with people who had the same idea.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "The ultimate guide to living life through 2 months of Brent Spence Bridge repairs," 1 July 2017
With the rapidly expanding capital’s arterial and ring roads congested with traffic, Finnish authorities are willing to try anything that has a realistic prospect of reducing the number of cars, while providing a similar level of convenience.

— peter ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "An offer Finns can't refuse? Helsinki woos car owners to give up their autos.," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'congest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of congest

Latin congestus, past participle of congerere to bring together, from com- + gerere to bear

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

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congest Synonyms

Synonyms

block, choke, clot, clog, dam, gum (up), jam, obstruct, occlude, plug (up), stop (up), stuff

Antonyms

clear, free, open (up), unblock, unclog, unplug, unstop

Related Words

bung, cork, spile, stopper, stopple; fill, gridlock, pack; fur, silt; flood, glut, inundate, overwhelm, swamp

Near Antonyms

excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out); empty, lighten

CONGEST Defined for Kids

congest

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verb con·gest \ kən-ˈjest \

Definition of congest for Students

congested; congesting

:to make too crowded or full :clog

More and more cars are congesting our highways.

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See words that rhyme with congest Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for congest Spanish Central: Translation of congest Nglish: Translation of congest for Spanish speakers

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congest

Definition of congest

congestion

congestive

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CONGEST Defined for Kids

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