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Synonyms

congested

British  
/ kənˈdʒɛstɪd /

adjective

  1. crowded to excess; overfull

  2. (of an organ or part) loaded or clogged with blood

  3. (of the nose) blocked with mucus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Explanation

If you are having trouble breathing, you keep sneezing, and your head feels like it might explode, you may very well be congested. In other words, fluid may have built up in your sinuses and your lungs. Being congested is a typical but very unpleasant symptom of the common cold. This adjective literally means “clogged,” “overcrowded,” or “overfull.” Congested is also used to describe arteries that are clogged, cities that are overpopulated, and roads that are full of traffic.

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Vocabulary lists containing congested

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Both companies plan to offer a commercial air taxi service using electric aircraft that function like Ubers over congested cities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

I live in a congested condo complex, and the company says it finds the nearest safe spot to pull over.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

But there is a congested leaderboard with 20 players within four strokes of the lead.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

As air traffic controllers struggled to route aircraft around the storms, airspace became heavily congested and many planes due to fly were simply forced to wait on the ground.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

“Isn’t she a corker?” he said, in a congested voice I’d never heard before and hated instantly.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

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