gridlock
grid·lock/ˈɡɹɪdˌlɑk/noun, verb
gridlock is spelled G-R-I-D-L-O-C-K: 8 letters and 2 syllables (grid·lock). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, gridlock means “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…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of gridlock is gridlocks.
How many letters and syllables are in gridlock?
| Letters | 8: G-R-I-D-L-O-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: grid·lock |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,459th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is gridlock?
Gridlock appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce gridlock?
- UK /ˈɡɹɪdˌlɒk/
- US /ˈɡɹɪdˌlɑk/
Gridlock has 2 syllables, split grid·lock in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-gridlock.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of gridlock
- gridlocks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- gridlocking participle, present
- gridlocked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gridlock mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
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
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
Any paralysis of a complex system due to severe congestion, conflict, or deadlock.
verb
- 1
To cause traffic congestion.
Wiktionary also records gridlock as a common misspelling of another word in some uses; the senses above are its own.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gridlock in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | paralysie, embouteillage , impasse, interblocage |
| German | Verkehrsinfarkt, Verkehrskollaps , Stillstand , Stau |
| Portuguese | engarrafamento , impasse |
| Spanish | embotellamiento, atasco , paralización |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does gridlock come from?
From grid + lock.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).