Carmageddon

C3A1R1M3A1G2E1D2D2O1N1

proper noun

The anticipated traffic jam resulting from closing a major freeway.

OriginEnglish Armageddon ← Middle English Hermagedon ← Old English Ermagedon →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. CaliforniaUSThe anticipated traffic jam resulting from closing a major freeway.

    California highway officials are hoping for a repeat performance at the end of April as Carmageddon 2.0 threatens once more to rear its ugly head.

    2020, Barnini Chakraborty, “California officials warn of Carmageddon 2.0, tell residents to steer clear of highway”, in Fox News
    1 more example

    Outreach for Carmageddon earned Metro and Caltrans a Project of the Year award from the California Transportation Foundation, but the key mark of success had always been removing traffic from the Sepulveda Pass that July weekend.

    2013, Susan Bregman, Kari Edison Watkins, Best Practices for Transportation Agency Use of Social Media, →ISBN, page 120

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱers-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱr̥sós
  3. Proto-Celtic*karros
  4. Gaulish*karros
  5. Latincarrus
  6. Anglo-Normancarre
  7. Middle Englishcarre
  8. Englishcar
  9. Hebrewהַר
  10. Hebrewמְגִידּוֹ
  11. Hebrewהַר מְגִדּוֹ
  12. Ancient GreekἉρμαγεδών (Harmagedṓn)
  13. Late LatinHarmagedōn
  14. Old EnglishErmagedon
  15. Middle EnglishHermagedon
  16. EnglishArmageddon
  17. EnglishCarmageddon

Blend of car + Armageddon.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Carmageddon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Carmageddon

MLA

“Carmageddon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Carmageddon. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Carmageddon,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Carmageddon.

Source: Carmageddon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.