pothole

noun

pot·​hole ˈpät-ˌhōl 

1

a

: a circular hole formed in the rocky bed of a river by the grinding action of stones or gravel whirled round by the water

b

: a sizable rounded often water-filled depression in land

2

: a pot-shaped hole in a road surface

3

: a usually minor difficulty or setback

hit a pothole in her comeback attempt

potholed

ˈpät-ˌhōld 

adjective

Examples of pothole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The roads are gravel, remote, full of potholes, and arriving at the hotel meant making a river crossing at one point in time (a bridge has since been introduced). —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 June 2026

That caused a second blackout to occur, and the vessel crashed into a supporting column of the bridge, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes on the structure. —ABC News, 17 June 2026

Baltimore's iconic bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, killing six construction workers who were filling potholes. —Adam Thompson, CBS News, 15 June 2026

That progress hit a large pothole in the fifth inning at Rate Field as the White Sox scored seven times, chasing Sasaki from the game and going on to beat the Dodgers, 8-2. —Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for pothole

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

pothole

noun

pot·​hole ˈpät-ˌhōl 

: a deep round hole (as in a road)