traffic nightmare
1
4.4
- noun
- Informal
:
pesadilla de tráfico
- The unexpected road closure caused a major traffic nightmare, trapping drivers in their cars for over an hour.
- cause a traffic nightmare
Examples
-
During rush hour, the highway turned into a traffic nightmare, leading to hours of delays for everyone.
-
A traffic nightmare of biblical proportions.
-
The newest attempt at art sounds dangerous and a traffic nightmare for most New Yorkers, with a liability to the city of New York.
Blog text (28) -
I know there are traffic engineers who dispute it, but I like grids that appear to me to let me avoid traffic nightmares on arterials.
Blog text (16) -
When the U.S. Department of Defense opened the BRAC 133 complex at Mark Center in August 2011, local residents and politicians alike predicted a traffic nightmare.
Blog text (18) -
The new construction site has created a traffic nightmare for commuters trying to reach downtown.
Synonyms
35
1.0
Many cars are stuck and move very slowly on a road
19
4.6
A complete traffic jam that stops vehicles moving in any direction
1
3.8
Very bad traffic that makes travel slow and hard
Very slow, annoying traffic that makes you late
A traffic jam where cars block each other and cannot move
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'traffic' (vehicles/flow on roads) with 'nightmare' used metaphorically to mean a terrible or highly problematic experience. This metaphorical use of 'nightmare' to label bad situations is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely understand 'traffic nightmare'.
Etymology
The phrase traffic nightmare joins traffic and nightmare to create a clear picture: imagine being stuck in endless lines of cars, horns and engines blaring, like a very bad dream. So, traffic nightmare means 'extremely heavy, frustrating traffic'.