pothole

American  

[pot-hohl] / ˈpɒtˌhoʊl /

noun

• potholes
  plural

1. a deep hole; pit.

2. a hole formed in pavement, as by excessive use or by extremes of weather.

3. a more or less cylindrical hole formed in rock by the grinding action of the detrital material in eddying water.

4. a cave opening vertically from the ground surface.

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pothole British  

/ ˈpɒtˌhəʊl /

noun

1. geography

   1. a deep hole in limestone areas resulting from action by running water See also sinkhole

   2. a circular hole in the bed of a river produced by abrasion

2. a deep hole, esp one produced in a road surface by wear or weathering

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• potholes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pothole

First recorded in 1820–30; pot ¹ + hole

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Explanation

A pothole is a hole or little pit in a road. Drivers complain about potholes frequently. If you've ever felt a little bump while in a car, you probably hit a pothole: a little hole in the street caused by wear and tear. Newly paved roads are smooth and have no potholes, but potholes develop over time. Drivers hate potholes because the little bump is startling, and a big pothole could actually damage a car. Eventually, potholes are usually filled in when a road gets paved. Potholes are also called chuckholes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pothole potholes

One way to consider today’s higher rates is as a “return to normal” after the crisis pothole.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Mamdani appeared to echo them in April, when he made a media event of filling a pothole in Staten Island.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Cities and counties are scrambling to prepare for a potential overhaul of how they pay for all sorts of services, from policing to pothole repairs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

And then there’s the biggest pothole of all on the road to pastoral wonder:

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

But when the bus hit a giant pothole, his arm flew across my chest.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

Cars rumbled into the parking lot, jostled by potholes, but nearly everyone went into the Dollar General.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

Its roads are scarred by potholes, sewage leaks and overgrown vegetation.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

“All anyone asked for is a repave, to get rid of potholes and have a smooth surface to drive on,” Supernaw said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

A poet and rapper who once handled complaints about potholes and dropped kerbs for Croydon Council is now using rap and spoken word poetry to explain council policy to young people.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

I did not have to watch out for potholes or stray dogs.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

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