rush hour

American  

noun

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

• rush-hour adjective

Etymology

Origin of rush hour

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

It’s not rush hour, but traffic on this highway doesn’t care.

From Literature

Delayed and cancelled trains disrupted Atocha in Madrid, Spain's busiest train station, as thousands of passengers crowded the platforms during the morning rush hour.

From Barron's

It did so in the morning rush hour, but not in the evening, when in fact they were slower, National Highways found.

From BBC

This could cause some issues in the evening rush hour.

From BBC

This could lead to some disruption in the Thursday morning rush hour.

From BBC

Related Words

• congestion
• traffic jam