road

/roʊd/
/rəʊd/
IPA guide

Other forms: roads

A road is a wide, usually paved path that's big enough for cars to travel on. There are some roads that are so long, you can follow them from one coast of the U.S. to the other.

While some roads can be traveled by pedestrians, the word usually specifies a thoroughfare for vehicles, especially cars, trucks, and buses. The longest road in the United States is U.S. Route 20, which stretches from Oregon to Massachusetts. Figuratively, a road can also be a means to an end, or the way to achieve a certain result: "She's on the road to success!" or "He wasn't feeling well yesterday, but now he's on the road to recovery."

Definitions of road
  1. noun
    an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
    synonyms: route
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    types:
    show 34 types...
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    access road, slip road
    a short road giving access to an expressway
    bypath, byroad, byway
    a side road little traveled (as in the countryside)
    causeway
    a road that is raised above water or marshland or sand
    clearway
    a road on which you are not allowed to stop (unless you have a breakdown)
    corduroy
    a road made of logs laid crosswise
    detour, roundabout way
    a roundabout road (especially one that is used temporarily while a main route is blocked)
    drive, parkway
    a wide scenic road planted with trees
    drive, driveway, private road
    a road leading up to a private house
    highway, main road
    a major road for any form of motor transport
    line, rail line, railway line
    the road consisting of railroad track and roadbed
    post road
    a road over which mail is carried
    roadway
    a road (especially that part of a road) over which vehicles travel
    crosscut, cutoff, shortcut
    a route shorter than the usual one
    side road
    a minor road branching off of a main road
    skid road
    a road made of logs on which freshly cut timber can be hauled
    speedway
    road where high speed driving is allowed
    thoroughfare
    a public road from one place to another
    cart track, cartroad, track
    any road or path affording passage especially a rough one
    turnoff
    a side road where you can turn off
    arterial road
    a major or main route
    artery
    a major thoroughfare that bears important traffic
    beltway, bypass, ring road, ringway
    a highway that encircles an urban area so that traffic does not have to pass through the center
    blind alley, cul de sac, dead-end street, impasse
    a street with only one way in or out
    branch line, spur, spur track
    a railway line connected to a trunk line
    carriageway
    one of the two sides of a motorway where traffic travels in one direction only usually in two or three lanes
    divided highway, dual carriageway
    a highway divided down the middle by a barrier that separates traffic going in different directions
    expressway, freeway, motorway, pike, state highway, superhighway, throughway, thruway
    a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic
    highroad, trunk road
    a highway
    interstate, interstate highway
    one of the system of highways linking major cities in the 48 contiguous states of the United States
    portage
    overland track between navigable waterways
    street
    a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
    street
    the part of a thoroughfare between the sidewalks; the part of the thoroughfare on which vehicles travel
    trail
    a path or track roughly blazed through wild or hilly country
    trunk line, trunk route
    line that is the main route on a railway
    type of:
    way
    any artifact consisting of a road or path affording passage from one place to another
  2. noun
    a way or means to achieve something
    “the road to fame”
    see moresee less
    types:
    royal road
    an auspicious way or means to achieve something
    type of:
    agency, means, way
    how a result is obtained or an end is achieved
Pronunciation
US
/roʊd/
UK
/rəʊd/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘road'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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