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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.

Five points separate Price and sixth-placed Gian van Veen so certain results next week could see a congested field and two play-off spots up for grabs in Sheffield on 21 May.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Stagecoach doesn’t have as many people as Coachella, so the traffic usually isn’t as bad, but Monday can get congested as people head home from the desert.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

But military analysts say clearing them is a necessary condition for ships to be able to sail again through the middle of the strategic waterway rather than the slower and more congested Iranian routes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

The ships that are now stuck would also need about a day or two to berth, load and depart the congested terminals, depending on their cargo.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

It was so long, it could barely maneuver in the congested streets of Manhattan.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

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