gridlock

noun
UK: /ˈɡrɪdlɒk/
US: /ˈɡrɪdlɑːk/

  1. A situation where no progress can be made; standstill.

    1. The talks reached gridlock, with neither side willing to compromise.
    2. Political gridlock has prevented any meaningful legislation from passing this year.

  2. A traffic jam in which a network of roads becomes so blocked that no movement is possible.

    1. The city was in gridlock after the snowstorm.
    2. Severe accidents caused a complete gridlock on the major highways around the city.

Synonyms

standstill deadlock stalemate tie-up impasse
gridlock verb

  1. To bring something to a standstill.

    1. The strike threatens to gridlock the entire transportation system.
    2. If the proposed law is passed, it will gridlock the economy for years to come.
gridlock transitive-verb

  1. To block or be blocked.

    1. The narrow streets were gridlocked by delivery trucks.
    2. The parliament is now gridlocked because the parties disagree with each other.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "gridlock" in English means: A situation where no progress can be made; standstill., A traffic jam in which a network of roads becomes so blocked that no movement is possible..

The phonetic transcription of "gridlock" is /ˈɡrɪdlɒk/ in British English and /ˈɡrɪdlɑːk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "gridlock": standstill, deadlock, stalemate, tie-up, impasse.

Example usage of "gridlock": "The talks reached gridlock, with neither side willing to compromise.". More examples on the page.