Meaning & use
clogged
Last updated
“clogged” is a form of “clog”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Blocked so that liquid, air or movement can barely pass.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a clogged drain; the sink is clogged.
Patterns
- clogged with something
- a clogged drain
The kitchen sink was clogged with grease.
A clogged filter makes the vacuum weaker.
Clogged gutters let rainwater spill over the walls.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Too full of traffic, work or things to move or operate smoothly.
Grammar: Figurative: clogged roads, a clogged schedule.
Patterns
- clogged with something
Roads were clogged with holiday traffic.
Her calendar is clogged with meetings.
The courts are clogged with old cases.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past tense and past participle of clog: blocked or filled up so that nothing passes.
Grammar: Past form of clog (clog up); passive is common: the pipe was clogged.
Patterns
- clog something up
Leaves clogged the drain after the storm.
The pipe clogged again within a week.
Hair had clogged the shower drain.
Word forms
| comparative | more clogged |
|---|---|
| superlative | most clogged |
Common combinations
- clogged drain
- A clogged drain flooded the bathroom floor.
- clogged with
- The street was clogged with cars.
- clogged arteries
- Clogged arteries raise the risk of a heart attack.
- clogged pipe
- The plumber cleared the clogged pipe.
- clogged up
- My nose is totally clogged up.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blocked
- Blocked is the simple everyday term and can be complete, while clogged suggests a gradual build-up of material.
- jammed
- Jammed suggests being stuck tight, often of machinery or traffic.
- congested
- Congested is common for traffic, nasal passages and crowded places, and is more formal.
- choked
- Choked suggests something being strangled by what fills it, as with weeds in a pond.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: clogged or clotted?
clogged vs clotted
Clotted refers to liquid thickened into lumps, such as blood or cream, rather than a passage being blocked.
Practice
The roads were ______ with commuters heading home.
Choose one answer.
Clogged with traffic means full and barely moving. Cleared would mean the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clogged”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.