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TOEIC Vocabulary
Welcome to the TOEIC Vocabulary Section. Here, you can find common TOEIC vocabulary words. We have categorized them based on common topics found in the TOEIC exam. Under each category, words and phrases are listed in alphabetical order. The sentences and explanations in our vocabulary lessons will not only familiarize you with the usage of the words but also teach you how to use them effectively.

TOEIC Vocabulary - driving & traffic

In this article, you will learn about TOEIC vocabulary words related to driving & traffic topic. A good command of English vocabulary is extremely important in scoring well on all sections of the TOEIC. We strongly recommend that you study these vocabulary words to prepare for the TOEIC exam. While studying vocabulary words, you should write the words in a notebook, say the words and sentences many times, and try to create your own setences using the words.

TOEIC 600

traffic

/ˈtrafɪk/ play_circle_filled

Traffic is an uncountable noun. It means ​the number of vehicles moving along roads, or the amount of aircraft, trains, or ships moving along a route.

 

If there are a lot of cars on the road, we can say "traffic is heavy/bad/busy" or "there is a lot of traffic". Don't use "crowded" to descirbe traffic. The traffic was very crowded.  Wrong sentence

  • Traffic was bad this morning.
  • Traffic was heavy this morning.
  • Traffic is usually busy on holidays.
  • There was a lot of traffic on the road this morning.

If there are not a lot of cars on the road, we can say "traffic is light" or "there is little traffic".

  • When traffic is light, it'll only take Charles 10 minutes to go from his house to reach his office. 
  • There is very little traffic in the area, even this is right in the center of the city.
  • There is very little traffic on the coastal road (Sea-to-Sky Highway) between Vancouver and Whistler. With the blue waters on one side, soaring cliffs on the other, and nothing but open skies ahead of you, you really feel like you've left civilization in your rearview mirror.
TOEIC 800

commute

/kəˈmjuːt/ play_circle_filled

If you commute, you travel a long distance every day between your home and your place of work. The word "commute" can also be a noun, meaning the journey that you make when you commute.

    Commute as a verb

    • My husband commutes long distances while I work close to home.
    • I don't really mind commuting on the train as long as I have a good book to read.
    • My last job required me to spend roughly two hours commuting to and from work each day.
    • It's exhausting commuting from Taoyuan to Taipei city every day.

    Commute as noun

    • He has a long commute to work.
    • There is always a lot of traffic on my morning commute.
    • Some apps can use your phone's location to see commute traffic or find nearby restaurants for you.
    • On average, Americans spent roughly 27 minutes on their one-way commute to work in 2018. This equates to over 200 hours spent commuting per year. 

    More example sentences related to working from home

    • Many employees are hoping to work from home even after the pandemic is over. The biggest reason why employees prefer to work remotely is that they get to save time on their daily commute.
    • Ever since I started working from home, the time I would normally spend on commuting has now been used to spend more time with my family.
    • Ever since I started working from home, the time I would normally spend on my commute has now been used to sleep more, focus on various hobbies and get more work done.
    TOEIC 800

    commuter

    /kəˈmjuː.t̬ɚ/ play_circle_filled

    A commuter is a person who travels to work over an appreciable distance, usually from the suburbs to the center of a city

    • The fare increases will be bad news for long-distance commuters.
    • By 7:30 the roads are jammed with the usual morning commuters.
    • Commuter traffic in and around Paris and several other major cities was choked by the lack of public transport.
    • The absence of commuter traffic freed the air of smog and exposed an unfamiliar glorious sky.
    • Many commuters were desperate to get on board the limited trains running during peak hours, forcing themselves into crammed carriages.

    A commuter plane or train is a plane or train where people typically use to commute between work and home.

    • Several commuter trains were delayed because of the bad weather.
    • Paris commuter trains were expected to be partially affected by the rail strike.
    • This mid-sized general aviation airport handles personal aircraft and small commuter planes.
    • The airline has ordered eight new commuter planes to replace a dozen aging carriers.
    TOEIC 800

    congested

    /kənˈdʒɛstɪd/ play_circle_filled

    If the taffic is jammed/congested/backed up, it means the traffic is bad

    • Traffic is congested because of the bridge construction.
    • Traffic was congested heading into and out of the city this morning.
    • The traffic in San Francisco has gotten awful. Most of the time, it's bumper to bumper and noisy. The worst stretch of road appears to be on I-80 between Potrero Avenue and the Bay Bridge toll plaza, which is at its most congested 8:00 A.M. on Thursday mornings with an average speed of 14 miles per hour.
    TOEIC 800

    fill up the gas tank

    play_circle_filled

    Get some gas = ​Fill up the gas tank = Top off the tank

    • Get some gas.
    • Fill up the gas tank.
    • ​Top off the tank.
    • I need to fill up the gas tank. I wonder if there's a nearby gas station. I'll stop and get some gas.
    • Oh, I just noticed we're low on gas. Let me know if you see a gas station. I am going to get some gas.
    • Andrew and his family decided to take a trip to the mountains for the weekend. Before getting on the road, Adam went to the gas station to fill up his tank.
    • ​​Before we return the rental car, we need to top off the gas tank.

     

    Gas attendant:  How may I help you?

     

    Customer: Fill it up with unleaded gas, please.

     

    Gas attendant: Do you want to pump the 92 octane unleaded gas or 95 octane unleaded gas?

     

    Customer: 92 octane unleaded. And please put $20 USD worth in. 

     

    Gas attendant: Okay!

     

    Gas attendant: How may I help you?

     

    Customer: Yes. Fill it up, please

     

    Gas attendant: Premium or regular?

     

    Customer: Regular, please.

    TOEIC 800

    run a red light

    play_circle_filled

    Run a red light = Pass through the traffic light when the red light is on.

    • I got pulled over for running a red light on my way to work.
    • Ma'am, are you aware that you just ran a red light?
    • We were heading north on Cambie, and then this minivan came out of nowhere, ran a red light.
    • The vast majority of people run red lights because they're in a hurry or feeling impatient, or when they think they can “beat the yellow” and misjudge the timing.
    TOEIC 800

    top off the gas tank

    play_circle_filled

    Get some gas = ​Fill up the gas tank = Top off the tank

    • I need to fill up the gas tank. I wonder if there's a nearby gas station. I'll stop and get some gas.
    • Oh, I just noticed we're low on gas. Let me know if you see a gas station. I am going to get some gas.
    • Andrew and his family decided to take a trip to the mountains for the weekend. Before getting on the road, Adam went to the gas station to fill up his tank.
    • ​​Before we return the rental car, we need to top off the gas tank.

     

    Gas attendant:  How may I help you?

     

    Customer: Fill it up with unleaded gas, please.

     

    Gas attendant: Do you want to pump the 92 octane unleaded gas or 95 octane unleaded gas?

     

    Customer: 92 octane unleaded. And please put $20 USD worth in. 

     

    Gas attendant: Okay!

     

    Gas attendant: How may I help you?

     

    Customer: Yes. Fill it up, please

     

    Gas attendant: Premium or regular?

     

    Customer: Regular, please.

    TOEIC 900

    backed up

    /ˈbæk.ʌp/ play_circle_filled

    Back up = congest

     

    If the taffic is jammed/congested/backed up, it means the traffic is bad

    • The traffic is backed up for six miles on the road to the coast.
    • Traffic was backed up on Interstate 90 Sunday near the Division Street exit.
    • There's an accident on the freeway and traffic is backed up for miles.
    • Traffic accidents on Maple Road have caused vehicles to back up for at least five kilometers. City authorities said the delay might continue for another hour or so. Drivers are advised to use alternate routes.
    • Traffic was jammed all the way to Main street this morning. It was brutal.
    TOEIC 900

    bumper to bumper

    play_circle_filled

    If the traffic is bumper to bumper, it means there are so many cars being so close that they are almost touching each other

    • By six o'clock the traffic had gotten really awful. In fact, the traffic was bumper to bumper all the way home.
    • The traffic in San Francisco is terrible, bumper to bumper and noisy.
    • The cars on Route 19 are bumper to bumper right now—there's no way we'll get there on time.
    TOEIC 900

    congestion

    /con-ges-tion/ [k.ah0.n.jh.eh1.s.ch.ah0.n] /kənˈdʒɛstʃ(ə)n/ play_circle_filled

    Congestion = The state of being congested (Uncoutable Noun)

    • Heavy downpour causes waterlog and traffic congestion in Delhi, India.
    • Boston has the second-worst traffic congestion in the U.S., according to a new study.
    • The Taipei city government hopes to ease traffic congestion problems by setting up bicycle rental points at MRT stations.

     

    TOEIC 900

    curb

    /curb/ [k.er1.b] /kɝːb/ play_circle_filled

    kerb (UK) or curb (US) = the edge where a raised sidewalk or road median/central reservation meets a street or other roadway.

    • Two cars are parked along the curb
    • A white Chevrolet I had never seen before stood at the curb across the street.

    YVR Airport Pick Up Information

     

    Call 604-205-9610 AFTER you have collected all luggage to confirm your arrival, and you will be assigned your taxicab number. Your taxicab can usually be at the curb in 10 minutes or so from the time of your call, unless you are told otherwise. Please note that you will have to order another taxi if you are not at the curb when your taxi arrives.

     

    kerbside (UK) or curbside (US) = the area near where a road and the raised path next to it join

    • At the Burrard bus station, a row of buses sat idling along the curbside.
    • During the lockdowns, curbside pickup has emerged as many retailers' best strategy for long-term survival in the e-commerce age.

    Now shop online and pick up your order from your local store without the wait or cost of shipping. Simply select your store, add items to your cart and select "contactless curbside pickup" at checkout. We'll notify you when your order is ready for pickup.

    TOEIC 900

    gridlock

    ˈɡrɪd.lɑːk/ play_circle_filled

    Gridlock = a situation where roads in a town become so blocked by cars that it is impossible for any traffic to move (Uncountable Noun)

    • A car breaking down at rush hour could cause gridlock across half the city. 
    • An accident caused gridlock at rush hour yesterday.
    • Generally, the traffic in my city is not too bad. Though during peak hours, there are parts of the city that basically have gridlock. The bigger problem for me is finding parking. If you're driving to busy areas, be prepared to pay for metered or garage parking because street parking can be awfully inconvenient or non-existent.

    If a place is gridlocked, the roads are blocked with a lot of traffic so vehicles cannot move.

    • Chicago is one of the most gridlocked cities in America.
    • Jakarta traffic is the most gridlocked in Southeast Asia, perhaps among the worst worldwide.
    TOEIC 900

    jammed

    play_circle_filled

    If the taffic is jammed/congested/backed up, it means the traffic is bad

    • Traffic is jammed because of the bridge construction.
    • Traffic was jammed heading into and out of the city this morning.

    TOEIC Vocabulary Exercise

    Ready to test out the words we've gone over? Let's jump into a fun vocab challenge! You'll listen to English sentences and try to type them out. Think of it as a brain workout! Doing this can really help you remember the words better and boost your speaking and writing skills. Plus, it'll make you more confident in tests and everyday chats. Sounds good? Let's dive in!



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