road

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A hard, level strip of ground built for vehicles and people to travel along between places.

   Grammar: Countable; you travel on or along a road, and a name can follow it in addresses: Mill Road.

   Patterns

   • on the road
   • along the road
   • the road to somewhere

   The road to the coast was closed after the storm.

   She lives at the end of a quiet country road.

   We crossed the road at the traffic lights.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A way or course that leads toward a particular result or condition.

   Grammar: Used with 'to' and an outcome: the road to success.

   Patterns

   • the road to something
   • a long road

   Recovery from the injury was a long road for the young athlete.

   Honesty is the road to trust between friends.

   The country is on the road to economic recovery.

3. 3nounsingular

   The surface of a street or highway where vehicles drive, as opposed to the pavement or sidewalk.

   Grammar: Used with 'the' when talking about where vehicles are; 'on the road' can also mean traveling or driving.

   Patterns

   • on the road
   • off the road

   Mind the kids; they should not play in the road.

   There were too many cars on the road this morning.

   The band spends half the year on the road.

Word forms

Common combinations

main road

Turn left when you reach the main road.

road trip

We took a road trip across the desert.

road sign

A road sign warned of falling rocks ahead.

road safety

The school runs a road safety week every spring.

block the road

A fallen tree was blocking the road.

hit the road

We should hit the road before the traffic builds up.

Synonyms and how they differ

street

A street usually lies inside a town and has buildings along both sides, whereas a road can run anywhere, including through open country.

highway

A highway is a major public road for fast, long-distance traffic, so it is bigger and more formal than a typical road.

route

A route is the particular way you choose to get somewhere, which may use several roads.

path

A path is a narrow track for walking, not for vehicles, while a road is built for traffic.

Word family

roadside noun

the edge of a road

roadway noun

the part of a road used by vehicles

roadworks noun

repair or building work taking place on a road

roadblock noun

a barrier across a road, or a figurative obstacle

roadworthy adjective

in good enough condition to be driven safely

Commonly confused: road or rode?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “road”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words