rush hour

American  

noun

• rush hours
  plural

1. a time of day in which large numbers of people are in transit, as going to or returning from work, and that is characterized by particularly heavy traffic.

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rush hour British  

noun

1. a period at the beginning and end of the working day when large numbers of people are travelling to or from work

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rush-hour
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rush hours
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rush hour

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rush hour

A driving instructor died of a cardiac arrest after his wife had to take him to hospital in rush hour traffic because no ambulances were available.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Metrolink service was not affected as the afternoon rush hour began, according to a spokesperson for the commuter rail system.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

But for the Mets, this has gone as well as trying to navigate the Van Wyck Expressway at rush hour.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

In the first episode, student Daisy scrambles at rush hour to catch a jeepney, the country's most common form of public transport.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

The teams returned all at once, noisy and punctual as the trains of the London and North West Railway screeching into Euston Station during the morning rush hour.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• congestion
• traffic jam