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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

gridlock en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈɡɹɪdˌlɑk/ (General-American)
  • /ˈɡɹɪdˌlɒk/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From grid + lock.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) 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.
  2. (countable, uncountable) 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.
  3. (broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable) Any paralysis of a complex system due to severe congestion, conflict, or deadlock.
    • But no party appeared on track to secure an absolute majority, leaving one of Europe’s largest countries headed for gridlock or political instability. 2024 July 8, Adam Nossiter, Aurelien Breeden, “5 Takeaways From France’s Snap Election”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
  4. (alt-of, countable, deliberate, misspelling, qualifier:transgender slang, uncountable) Deliberate misspelling of girlcock and girldick.
    • Making my girlfriend print out a cute pic of my gridlock so she doesn’t forget what it looks like while she’s away from me. 2023 March 20, @socalledcharlie, Twitter (post), archived from the original on 02 Sep 2025:
    • Why are we still here? Just to suffer? Every night, I can feel my gridlock... And my girldick... even my shenis... The body I've lost... the comrades I've lost... won't stop hurting... It's like they're all still there. 2022 January 22, @Andtheirva, Twitter (post), archived from the original on 02 Sep 2025:
    • pros of dating me : im cute and nice and i have an integra, my gridlock is perfectly sized ¶ cons of dating me: i WILL leave all my misc car parts, video game accessories, milsurp equipment, and cute girl clothes in your room. this is non-negotionable. this is where it goes now. 2022 March 18, @stonewall1312, Twitter (post), archived from the original on 02 Sep 2025:
    • Tattoo on my gridlock that says twink death 2023 November 25, @marufawks, X (post), archived from the original on 02 Sep 2025:
    • […] thalia is a lesbian that dated a trans girl once and got a taste of gridlock and now is exclusively a chaser for trans girls 2024 March 7, @TheTunnelingCat, X (post), archived from the original on 02 Sep 2025:
    • God, ngl, some gridlock sounds real good right about now (iykyk) 2021 November 13, @Nartemis117, Twitter (post), archived from the original on 02 Sep 2025:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
gridlocks Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

pedlock

Hypernyms

lock

Translations (75)

fr interblocage (deadlock) · ja 停滞 (deadlock) · ru мёртвая то́чка (deadlock) · es paralización (deadlock) · ru про́бка (on a smaller scale) · hu torlódás (on a smaller scale) · ru засто́й (deadlock) · ga sáinn (deadlock) · nl impasse (deadlock) · cmn 僵局 (deadlock) · fr embouteillage (traffic congestion) · ka გამოუვალი სიტუაცია (deadlock) · ga tranglam tráchta (traffic congestion) · hu óriási dugó (traffic congestion) · fi liikennesuma (traffic congestion) · hu forgalmi dugó (on a smaller scale) · ar جُمُود (traffic congestion) · fi suma (deadlock) · hu megbénult forgalom (traffic congestion) · ja 雑沓 (on a smaller scale) · fi umpikuja (deadlock) · hu holtpont (deadlock) · ka გამოუვალი მდგომარეობა (deadlock) · de Verkehrskollaps (traffic congestion) · it ingorgo (traffic congestion) · hy խռնվածք (traffic congestion) · ru тупи́к (deadlock) · cs zablokování (traffic congestion) · es embotellamiento (traffic congestion) · fr paralysie (traffic congestion) · de Stau (on a smaller scale) · nl verkeersopstopping (on a smaller scale) · hu fennakadás (on a smaller scale) · hy խցանում (on a smaller scale) · nl opstopping (on a smaller scale) · cmn 塞車 /塞车 (on a smaller scale) · hy մեռյալ կետ (deadlock) · hu patthelyzet (deadlock) · sv totalstopp (traffic congestion) · ko 교착 상태 (traffic congestion) · hu (közlekedési) dugó (on a smaller scale) · ru зато́р (traffic congestion) · es atasco (on a smaller scale) · es atasco (traffic congestion) · he רשת (traffic congestion) · nb(on a smaller scale) · de Stillstand (deadlock) · nl verkeersinfarct (traffic congestion) · de Verkehrsinfarkt (traffic congestion) · ja 渋滞 (on a smaller scale) · hu elakadás (on a smaller scale) · vi khóa lưới (traffic congestion) · fi tukos (on a smaller scale) · hi ग्रिडलॉक (traffic congestion) · hy կուտակականգ (traffic congestion) · nb kork (traffic congestion) · cmn 交通阻塞 (traffic congestion) · ja 渋滞 (traffic congestion) · uk затор (traffic congestion) · pt engarrafamento (traffic congestion) · fr embouteillage (on a smaller scale) · nl verkeerschaos (traffic congestion) · nl patstelling (deadlock) · ja 交通渋滞 (traffic congestion) · fa راهبندان (traffic congestion) · hy փակուղի (deadlock) · nb trafikkork (traffic congestion) · pt engarrafamento (on a smaller scale) · ru зато́р (on a smaller scale) · ja 雑踏 (on a smaller scale) · nb kork (on a smaller scale) · pt impasse (deadlock) · ka ჩიხი (deadlock) · is sundrung (traffic congestion) · fr impasse (deadlock)

gridlock en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈɡɹɪdˌlɑk/ (General-American)
  • /ˈɡɹɪdˌlɒk/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From grid + lock.

Meanings

  1. To cause traffic congestion.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
gridlocking Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
gridlocked Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
gridlocked Tense=Past lexicographic
gridlocks Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Relateds

deadlock