- traffic
- noun1 vehicles going somewhereADJECTIVE▪ bad, bumper-to-bumper, busy, congested, heavy, terrible▪
The traffic was terrible on the way here.
▪ light▪ fast, fast-flowing▪ slow-moving▪ stop-and-go (AmE)▪ passing▪She waved her arms at the passing traffic, pleading for someone to stop.
▪ automobile (AmE), lorry (BrE), motor, road, truck (esp. AmE), vehicle, vehicular▪ foot, pedestrian▪ air, airline▪an air traffic controller
▪ boat, maritime, river, sea▪ rail, railroad (AmE), railway (BrE)▪ freeway (in the US), highway (in the US), interstate (in the US), motorway (in the UK)▪ commercial, freight, goods, industrial, passenger▪ city, city-centre (BrE), downtown (AmE), local, town-centre (BrE), urban▪ international▪ commuter, tourist▪ morning, rush-hour▪ holiday▪ oncoming▪I stood waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic.
▪ through▪Through traffic is directed around the bypass.
▪ northbound, southbound, etc.▪ inbound, outbound▪ one-way, two-way… OF TRAFFIC▪ streamVERB + TRAFFIC▪ generate, increase▪Building larger roads could generate more traffic.
▪ cut, reduce▪ slow down▪ block, disrupt, hold up, obstruct, snarl, stop, tie up▪Traffic was held up for six hours by the accident.
▪ control, direct▪ divert▪ avoid, beat▪We set off early to beat the traffic.
▪ navigate▪The driver calmly navigated the heavy traffic.
▪ watchTRAFFIC + VERB▪ build up, thicken (esp. AmE)▪Traffic was already building up as early as 3 p.m.
▪ grow, increase▪Traffic has increased by 50% in ten years.
▪ clog sth▪Traffic clogs the streets of the city.
▪ thin (esp. AmE)▪Traffic thins noticeably after 9 a.m.
▪ flow, move, speed, travel▪The road is being widened to keep traffic moving.
▪ go by, pass▪ stop▪ head▪We joined the traffic heading north.
▪ roar, rumbleTRAFFIC + NOUN▪ accident▪ fatality▪ hazard▪Sheep are a traffic hazard in the hills.
▪ chaos, congestion, delays, disruption, hold-ups, jam, problems, queues (BrE), snarl (esp. AmE)▪ fumes, pollution▪ noise▪ flow, speed▪Widening the road would improve traffic flow.
▪ levels, volume▪ calming (BrE), management, restraint, safety▪ sign, signal▪ laws, legislation, regulations▪ court (AmE)▪ system▪ offence/offense (esp. BrE), violation (esp. AmE)▪ ticket (= an official notice to pay a fine) (AmE)▪ camera▪ stop (AmE)▪The cop was shot during a routine traffic stop.
▪ bollard (BrE), circle (AmE), cone, island▪A traffic island at the junction separates left- and right-turning vehicles.
▪ artery (formal), route▪ lane▪ information, report, survey, update▪ cop, officer, police, policeman, warden (BrE)▪ engineer, planner (BrE)▪ duty▪a policeman on traffic duty
PHRASES▪ the volume of traffic2 messages, signals, etc.ADJECTIVE▪ radio, telephone▪ data, voice▪ network▪ email, Internet, Net, search-engine, site, Web, website▪Our company will help you generate site traffic.
▪ targeted▪These tips should help you generate more targeted traffic to your website.
▪ real-time▪ inbound, incoming▪ outbound, outgoingVERB + TRAFFIC▪ boost, build, generate▪ receive, send▪ attract, draw▪ carry▪ handle, manage▪ monitor▪ encrypt▪ redirect, re-route, routeTRAFFIC + VERB▪ flow▪ grow, increaseTRAFFIC + NOUN▪ pattern▪ load▪ capacity3 illegal buying and selling of sthADJECTIVE▪ illegal▪ arms, drug▪ internationalPREPOSITION▪ traffic in sth▪the traffic in arms
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
