bottleneck

//ˈbɒt.əl.nek//
B2Frequency Level 12Neutral
Visual representation of bottleneck

Noun

bottleneckSingular
bottlenecksPlural
1

A narrow section of road or a junction that impedes traffic flow, causing congestion.

The old bridge is a bottleneck that causes traffic jams every morning.

2

A point of congestion or blockage in a process or system that slows down overall progress or efficiency.

The approval process has become a bottleneck that delays the entire project.

3

The narrow part of a bottle near the opening.

The liquid got stuck in the bottleneck of the wine bottle.

Verb

bottleneckInfinitive
bottleneckPresent tense
bottleneckedPast tense
bottleneckedPast participle
bottleneckingPresent participle
bottlenecksThird-person singular
1

To slow down or impede progress by creating a point of congestion.

The outdated software is bottlenecking our entire workflow.