rush hour

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.

rush hour

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• rush-hour adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rush hour¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

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.

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The L.A. metro area could be hard hit during Thursday evening rush hour, with localized freeway flooding in low spots, forecasters warned.

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Minibus taxis that ferry workers around the city often drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid rush hour traffic.

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Kravitz argues that to block one of them off would result in massive congestion, particularly during rush hour, and potentially block the paths of emergency vehicles looking for a way around Alton traffic.

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As a consequence, thousands of rush hour commuters and coastal rail passengers were unaware of the risk as multiple M777 howitzers fired a total of 30 shells over the freeway.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• congestion 
• traffic jam