Gridlock
//ˈɡɹɪdˌlɒk// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A condition of total, interlocking traffic congestion on the streets or highways of a crowded city, in which no one can move because everyone is in someone else's way. countable, uncountable
- 2 a traffic jam so bad that no movement is possible wordnet
- 3 On a smaller scale, the situation in which cars enter a signal-controlled intersection too late during the green light cycle, and are unable to clear the intersection (due to congestion in the next block) when the light turns red, thus blocking the cross traffic when it's their turn to go. Repeated at enough intersections, this phenomenon can lead to citywide gridlock. countable, uncountable
- 4 Any paralysis of a complex system due to severe congestion, conflict, or deadlock. broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"But no party appeared on track to secure an absolute majority, leaving one of Europe’s largest countries headed for gridlock or political instability."
- 5 Deliberate misspelling of girlcock and girldick. alt-of, countable, deliberate, misspelling, uncountable
"God, ngl, some gridlock sounds real good right about now (iykyk)"
Verb
- 1 To cause traffic congestion.
Example
More examples"That really would cause some serious gridlock."
Etymology
From grid + lock.
Related phrases
More for "gridlock"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.