rush hour

noun

: a period of the day when the demands especially of traffic or business are at a peak

Examples of rush hour in a Sentence

We got caught in the morning rush hour.

Recent Examples on the Web

At one time, Ridge Avenue between Clark Street and Hollywood Avenue, and Hollywood Avenue between Ridge Avenue and Sheridan Road, had reversible lanes during rush hour periods. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Los Angeles ranked 25th worst globally, with drivers losing 83 hours during rush hour annually, while San Francisco had the sixth worst congestion in North America. — Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026

The concierge can be contacted via WhatsApp, but response times can be slow during varying rush hours; for example, a sudden tropical rainstorm might inspire half the resort to call in for room service. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026

As anywhere in the United States, crashes are more commonplace during rush hour; there are simply more drivers on the road, and many are tired. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rush hour

• bower
• cower
• dour
• flour
• flower
• fower
• glower
• our
• power
• scour
• shower
• sour

Kids Definition

rush hour

noun

: a period of the day when traffic is very heavy or business is very brisk