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

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

A BBC reporter on the scene said traffic was bumper to bumper, with several roads closed during rush hour traffic.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Lane closures remained in effect, snarling traffic for several miles as rush hour intensified.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Emergency services evacuated a busy Manhattan street block during the Tuesday morning rush hour after structural columns buckled inside a skyscraper undergoing construction work, officials said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

Took a rush hour bus trying to get to you.

From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson

Related Words

• congestion
• traffic jam