congested

adjective

con·​gest·​ed kən-ˈje-stəd How to pronounce congested (audio)
1
: extremely or excessively full or crowded
The trains ferried orphaned and abandoned kids from the congested East to new families and new lives in the heartland.
… it must be clear that the continuance is not being granted solely because of the court's congested calendar.The National Law Journal
Under the pressure of the weather conditions, congested traffic and wind shear, the crew never was able to stabilize the airplane on the ILS approach into JFK and had to execute a missed approach.Patrick R. Veillette
2
medical : containing an excessive accumulation especially of blood or mucus
congested lungs/sinuses

Examples of congested in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The plant appears very congested in the container and there is leaf decline. Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2025 Amid such a fiercely congested sports market, with the Bay Area home to some of the country’s most famous franchises, battling for sponsorships is fierce. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 Maryland also has two of the 10 most congested areas in the country. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025 The congested hub bounced back to No. 5 in 2021 and was No. 8 on the 2023 ranking before its recent drop, according to last year’s numbers. Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for congested

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1830, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of congested was circa 1830

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Cite this Entry

“Congested.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congested. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

congested

adjective
con·​gest·​ed kən-ˈjes-təd How to pronounce congested (audio)
: containing an excessive accumulation especially of blood or mucus
congested mucous membranes
congested lungs

More from Merriam-Webster on congested

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