traffic

/ˈtræfɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtræfɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtra-fik/ (ame, mw) · /ˈtræf.ɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtræf.ɪk/ (ame, ipa)

traffic — 名詞

1. cars, buses, and other vehicles travelling on roads, together with how busy the

1.名詞A2
釋義

交通

道路上移動的車輛

cars, buses, and other vehicles travelling on roads, together with how busy the roads are

例句

The morning rush-hour traffic made Bao nearly thirty minutes late for work.

早上的尖峰時間交通讓 Bao 遲到了將近三十分鐘。

collocation: rush-hour traffic

Christopher checked the map for a side road with less traffic on it.

Christopher 在地圖上找了一條交通比較少的巷弄道路。

同義詞
  • congestion

    specifically refers to roads being blocked or crowded; stronger negative connotation than traffic

  • gridlock

    extreme traffic jam where vehicles cannot move at all; more dramatic than general traffic

  • rush hour

    the peak period of heavy traffic, not the vehicles themselves

文法句型

traffic as an uncountable noun

用法筆記

Traffic is an uncountable noun in this sense. Do not say 'a traffic' or 'traffics'. Use 'a lot of traffic', 'heavy traffic', or 'little traffic' instead.

常見錯誤

❌There were many traffics on the street.
✅There was a lot of traffic on the street.
💡traffic is uncountable and cannot be pluralised.
❌I got stuck in a traffic.
✅I got stuck in traffic.
💡no article is needed before the uncountable noun.

2. the movement of passengers or cargo by road, rail, air, or sea, considered as a

2.名詞B2
釋義

運輸

運輸業或所運送的貨物旅客

the movement of passengers or cargo by road, rail, air, or sea, considered as a commercial activity

例句

The railway company reported a twenty percent increase in freight traffic this quarter.

這家鐵路公司報告本季貨運運輸量增加了百分之二十。

collocation: freight traffic / passenger traffic

Air traffic between the two islands has grown since the new airline began daily flights.

自新航空公司開始每日航班後，兩個島嶼之間的空中運輸有所成長。

同義詞
  • transport

    broader term for moving goods or people; not limited to movement along a route

  • shipping

    refers specifically to the transport of goods by sea or by commercial carriers

  • movement

    more general term without the commercial business implication

文法句型

traffic of [goods/passengers]

用法筆記

Often modified by a mode of transport (air traffic, rail traffic, road traffic, shipping traffic) or type of load (freight traffic, passenger traffic). Distinguish from sense 1 (VEHICLES ON ROAD), which focuses on congestion and road conditions rather than commercial movement.

常見錯誤

❌The traffic of goods increased by 10%.' (vague)
✅Freight traffic increased by 10%.
💡use a specific modifier to clarify which kind of transport business you mean.

3. the business of buying and selling goods that are forbidden by law, such as narc

3.名詞B2
釋義

非法交易

毒品、武器等違禁品交易

the business of buying and selling goods that are forbidden by law, such as narcotics, weapons, or protected animals and plants

例句

Police arrested four people in connection with the illegal arms traffic across the border.

警方逮捕了四名涉及邊境非法軍火交易的人士。

collocation: drug traffic / arms traffic

The government has launched a new campaign to stop the traffic of endangered species.

政府發起了一項新行動，以遏止瀕危物種的非法交易。

同義詞
  • trafficking

    the more common term for the activity; 'traffic' as a noun sounds more formal or journalistic

  • smuggling

    implies moving goods secretly across borders, while traffic can include domestic trade

  • black market

    refers to the entire illegal economy, not just the trade activity

文法句型

traffic in [contraband]

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'in' to specify the type of goods (e.g., 'traffic in drugs', 'traffic in arms'). Common in news reporting, law enforcement, and legal documents.

常見錯誤

❌He was involved in drug traffic.' (correct but informal)
✅He was involved in the drug traffic.' (with article) or 'He was involved in drug trafficking.
💡'trafficking' is more common in everyday legal contexts.

4. data moving through a computer network, or how often people visit a particular w

4.名詞B1
釋義

流量

網站訪客數或網路資料量

data moving through a computer network, or how often people visit a particular website

例句

The company's website traffic doubled after the new advertisement appeared online.

新廣告上線後，該公司的網站流量增加了一倍。

collocation: website traffic / web traffic

Network traffic slows down in the evening when many people stream videos in their homes.

晚上很多人待在家裡看串流影片時，網路流量就會變慢。

同義詞
  • visitors

    refers to people visiting a site, not the data volume; more concrete

  • data flow

    emphasises the movement of information rather than the count of visits

  • usage

    broader term covering any kind of system use

文法句型

traffic + noun (traffic data, traffic volume)

用法筆記

Often paired with modifiers such as 'web', 'network', 'site', 'data', or 'email' to specify the type of traffic. 'High traffic' means many visitors; 'low traffic' means few visitors.

常見錯誤

❌The traffic of our website is low.
✅Our website traffic is low.
💡use website traffic as a compound, not 'traffic of'.

5. in motor racing, the slower cars behind the leading group that can block or slow

5.名詞C1
釋義

慢車

賽車中阻擋領先車手的慢車

in motor racing, the slower cars behind the leading group that can block or slow down faster drivers who are trying to pass them on the track

例句

The champion driver skillfully moved through the traffic to retake the lead on lap thirty.

那位冠軍車手在第三十圈巧妙地穿過慢車，重新取得領先。

motor racing context

A crash ahead brought out a yellow flag, bunching the traffic behind the safety car.

前方發生事故引發了黃旗，安全車後方的慢車全部擠在一起。

同義詞
  • backmarkers

    specifically the slower cars that are a lap or more behind the leaders

  • field

    all the cars in the race collectively, not just the slower ones

文法句型

through traffic

in traffic

用法筆記

This sense is specific to motorsport commentary and analysis. In racing, 'traffic' is almost always a problem — the leading driver loses time because slower cars are in the way. Distinguish from sense 1 (VEHICLES ON ROAD), which applies to everyday roads.

6. in sports like basketball or ice hockey, the situation where a large number of d

6.名詞C1
釋義

防守擁擠

球場上防守球員擁擠的區域

in sports like basketball or ice hockey, the situation where a large number of defending players crowd into a small area of the playing space, making it hard to shoot or pass

例句

The point guard drove toward the basket but found too much traffic to shoot cleanly.

控球後衛帶球往籃下切入，但球員太密集，無法順利投籃。

basketball context

Heavy traffic in front of the net meant the hockey player could not see the puck.

球門前球員太過密集，那位冰球選手根本看不到球。

同義詞
  • crowd

    less specific; can refer to any group, not just defenders in a sports context

  • congestion

    similar meaning but slightly more formal; used in analysis rather than play-by-play commentary

文法句型

too much traffic

traffic in the [area]

用法筆記

This sense is used in basketball and ice hockey commentary. 'Traffic' refers to the defensive congestion itself, not the individual players. Distinguish from sense 5 (RACING OBSTACLES), which is about slower cars blocking leaders on a track.

traffic — 動詞