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Definition of congestion noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

congestion

noun
 
/kənˈdʒestʃən/
 
/kənˈdʒestʃən/
[uncountable]
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  1. the state of being crowded and full of traffic
    • traffic congestion and pollution
    Collocations Town and countryTown and countryTown
    • live in a city/​a town/​an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/​the suburbs/​shanty towns/​slums
    • live (especially North American English) downtown/​in the downtown area/(British English) in the city centre
    • enjoy/​like the hectic pace of life/​the hustle and bustle of city life
    • cope with the stress/​pressure of urban life
    • get caught up in the rat race
    • prefer/​seek the anonymity of life in a big city
    • be drawn by/​resist the lure of the big city
    • head for the bright lights (of the big city/​New York)
    • enjoy/​love the vibrant/​lively nightlife
    • have/​be close to all the amenities
    • be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/​a soulless urban sprawl
    • use/​travel by/​rely on (British English) public transport/(North American English) public transportation
    • put up with/​get stuck in/​sit in massive/​huge/​heavy/​endless/​constant traffic jams
    • tackle/​ease/​reduce/​relieve/​alleviate the heavy/​severe traffic congestion
    • be affected/​choked/​damaged by pollution
    Country
    • live in a village/​the countryside/​an isolated area/​a rural backwater/(informal) the sticks
    • enjoy/​like the relaxed/​slower pace of life
    • enjoy/​love/​explore the great outdoors
    • look for/​find/​get/​enjoy a little peace and quiet
    • need/​want to get back/​closer to nature
    • be surrounded by open/​unspoilt/​picturesque countryside
    • escape/​quit/​get out of/​leave the rat race
    • seek/​achieve a better/​healthy work-life balance
    • downshift to a less stressful life
    • seek/​start a new life in the country
    • (British English, informal) up sticks/ (North American English, informal ) pull up stakes and move to/​head for…
    • create/​build/​foster a strong sense of community
    • depend on/​be employed in/​work in agriculture
    • live off/​farm/​work the land
    • tackle/​address the problem of rural unemployment
    Extra Examples
    • Engineers are hoping network congestion will become a thing of the past.
    • Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.
    • a study of downtown traffic congestion
    • measures to ease the increasing congestion in the city
    • the nation's dependence on cars and the resulting highway congestion
    • Better public transport would help ease traffic congestion.
    • Expect severe congestion on the approach to the freeway this morning.
    • Heavy congestion was reported on many motorways.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • chronic
    • serious
    • severe
    verb + congestion
    • cause
    • lead to
    • alleviate
    congestion + noun
    • charge
    • pricing
    See full entry
  2. (medical) the state of part of the body being blocked with blood or mucus
    • congestion of the lungs
    • medicine to relieve nasal congestion
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • chronic
    • serious
    • severe
    verb + congestion
    • cause
    • lead to
    • alleviate
    congestion + noun
    • charge
    • pricing
    See full entry
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin congestio(n-), from congere ‘heap up’, from con- ‘together’ + gerere ‘bring’.
See congestion in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee congestion in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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