traffic stopper

noun

variants or less commonly traffic-stopper

ˈtra-fik-ˌstä-pər 

plural traffic stoppers also traffic-stoppers

: something that is so attractive, interesting, or surprising that drivers stop driving in order to look at it

Mystic Seaport is … probably the best-known attraction in Connecticut and a famous traffic stopper on Interstate 95. The view from a scenic overlook on the highway's northbound lane … is one of the most photographed in the Northeast.

—William A. Davis

(figurative) This dress is a traffic-stopper: super-sexy and perfect for a spring cocktail party.

—Jo Jones and Helen Seamons

Examples of traffic stopper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Manet’s portrait of the biracial actress Jeanne Duval, she of the coal-black eyes and parachute dress, is a traffic stopper. —Holland Cotter, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above