traffic

Vehicles or people moving along a road or through a place.

• There is heavy traffic today.
• We were stuck in traffic for an hour.
• Pedestrian traffic increases near the station at lunchtime.

Similar words: travel

Common phrases: heavy traffic, traffic jam, road traffic

The number or flow of people visiting a shop or restaurant.

• The shop gets little traffic on Mondays.
• Weekend traffic helped the restaurant increase sales.
• A new entrance could bring more foot traffic.

Similar words: customer flow

Common phrases: foot traffic, store traffic, customer traffic

The buying and selling of goods or people, usually against the law.

• They tried to stop the traffic in drugs.
• Illegal traffic in weapons crosses several borders.
• The report exposed traffic in stolen art.

How to use it: traffic in something (The police investigated traffic in stolen cars.)

Similar words: trade, trafficking

Common phrases: traffic in drugs, illegal traffic, traffic in weapons

To buy, sell, or move goods or people, usually against the law.

• They traffic in illegal weapons.
• He was arrested for trafficking in drugs.
• The group trafficked stolen goods across the border.

How to use it: traffic in something (The gang trafficked in stolen phones.)

Similar words: trade, deal

Common phrases: traffic in drugs, traffic in weapons, traffic stolen goods

Having so many vehicles that movement is difficult or slow.

• It is very traffic here today.
• The road was super traffic yesterday.
• Is it always this traffic near the market?

Similar words: congested, jammed

Opposites: clear

Common phrases: very traffic, super traffic, traffic here