clog
Americanverb (used with object)
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clogs,
present (3rd person singular)
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clogged,
past participle, past
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clogging
present participle
verb (used without object)
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clogs,
present (3rd person singular)
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clogged,
past participle, past
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clogging
present participle
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to become clogged, encumbered, or choked up.
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to stick; stick together.
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to do a clog dance.
noun
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clogs
plural
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anything that impedes motion or action; an encumbrance; a hindrance.
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a shoe or sandal with a thick sole of wood, cork, rubber, or the like.
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a similar but lighter shoe worn in the clog dance.
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a heavy block, as of wood, fastened to a person or beast to impede movement.
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British Dialect. a thick piece of wood.
verb
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to obstruct or become obstructed with thick or sticky matter
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(tr) to encumber; hinder; impede
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(tr) to fasten a clog or impediment to (an animal, such as a horse)
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(intr) to adhere or stick in a mass
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slang (in soccer) to foul (an opponent)
noun
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any of various wooden or wooden-soled shoes
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( as modifier )
clog dance
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a heavy block, esp of wood, fastened to the leg of a person or animal to impede motion
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something that impedes motion or action; hindrance
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slang to die
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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clogginessnoun
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cloggingnoun
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overclogverb (used with object)
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anticloggingadjective
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cloggyadjective
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cloggilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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clogsimple
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clogssimple
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have cloggedperfect
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has cloggedperfect
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am cloggingprogressive
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are cloggingprogressive
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is cloggingprogressive
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have been cloggingperfect progressive
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has been cloggingperfect progressive
Past
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cloggedsimple
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had cloggedperfect
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was cloggingprogressive
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were cloggingprogressive
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had been cloggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of clog
1350–1400; Middle English, of uncertain origin
Explanation
A clog is a blockage, or something that gets in the way. A clog in your kitchen sink might mean you have to call a plumber before you can wash your dishes. A clog obstructs water from flowing through pipes, and it can also be figurative, like a clog in your city's restaurant inspection system that makes it impossible for people to open new cafes. When clog is a verb, it means to cause such a hindrance. A completely different kind of clog is a heavy, wooden-soled shoe. In the 14th century, a clogge was a "lump of wood," and the verb first meant, "hinder with a block of wood."
Vocabulary lists containing clog
The Devil's Arithmetic
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Earth Day
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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:
Birkenstock CEO Oliver Reichert highlighted the trend during the sandal and clog maker’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
“We’re a small company caught in a clog of tariffs.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
The natural option, a blue-green microalgae called spirulina, proved to be too costly and thick in consistency, causing factory equipment to clog during candy production.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
Already, the excess heat in the tank has caused the MMA to harden and clog the failing tank’s valves, rendering it impossible for crews to drain the dangerous chemical or add stabilizing agents, Freeman said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026
“Not a lumberjack, a limberjack. A clog doll. A jigger. Dancing Dan. Shuffling Sam. I call him Mendigo. He keeps me company. Come inside and I’ll let you give it a try.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
The Crocs brand, which includes its namesake foam clogs, reported quarterly revenue of more than $1 billion for the first time for the period ended June 30.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Meanwhile, the company provided fewer pairs of the Crocs brand’s classic clogs to wholesalers in response to slower sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The carrier has also reportedly suffered significant problems with its toilet system while at sea, with US media saying clogs and long lines for restrooms on the ship.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
When a New York Times reporter tried to interview a woman in a chef’s apron and clogs carrying a flower bouquet, she ran back to her van.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
Her cargo shorts are frayed at the edges, and her gardening clogs smell like they’ve been doing exactly what they were made for.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
The nuclear power plant was temporarily taken offline a year ago after jellyfish clogged its seawater pumping stations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
“At first, I heard it was clogged arteries. Because he did have clogged arteries. He had a problem with that,” he said.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
In some cases, the requests can be simple, such as helping to fix a clogged toilet or a garage door that won’t open.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Flooding in Accra is exacerbated by a poor drainage system, including clogged gutters and the construction of illegal structures on waterways.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
By morning my eyes were burning and bloodshot, my nostrils were clogged with black soot, and I’d developed a dry, persistent hack that would stay with me until the end of the expedition.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
On March 6, 1971, a few thousand people marched down the Las Vegas Strip, clogging the glitzy artery through which the city’s money flowed, to protest cuts to public assistance for the poor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
The animals also showed greater protection against atherosclerosis, the artery clogging disease linked to heart attacks and strokes.
From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026
Meanwhile, residents in the $3 million homes surrounding the campus—a former elementary school—complained about parents clogging the streets with Teslas at pickup and drop-off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
“AI slop is clogging your brain,” warns NPR.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
I spat and coughed, desperate to expel the scent of sea brine clogging my lungs.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
