congest
Americanverb (used with object)
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to fill to excess; overcrowd or overburden; clog.
The subway entrance was so congested that no one could move.
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Pathology. to cause an unnatural accumulation of blood or other fluid in (a body part or blood vessel).
The cold congested her sinuses.
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Obsolete. to heap together.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to crowd or become crowded to excess; overfill
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to overload or clog (an organ or part) with blood or (of an organ or part) to become overloaded or clogged with blood
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(tr; usually passive) to block (the nose) with mucus
Other Word Forms
- congestible adjective
- congestive adjective
- noncongestive adjective
- precongested adjective
- precongestive adjective
- supercongested adjective
- uncongested adjective
- uncongestive adjective
Etymology
Origin of congest
1530–40; < Latin congestus (past participle of congerere; congeries ), equivalent to con- con- + ges- (variant stem of gerere ) + -tus past participle suffix
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.
Although freight lines have crossed the country for more than a century, long-haul rail shipping remains a fragmented process, replete with congested hubs and delayed handoffs.
The Blues return to action on Sunday at Manchester City, the first of nine fixtures across four competitions during a congested January schedule.
From Barron's
While millions will travel by rail, earlier last-train times mean many may take to the road, making them even more congested.
From BBC
This year's Christmas getaway is set to be the most congested on record for UK motorists and, although the weather is improving, hazards including spray and fog could affect your travel plans.
From BBC
It is not unusual for unattended packages to lead to road closures around Parliament, a heavily congested - and heavily policed - part of London.
From BBC
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.
