Heavy rain caused the traffic to be held up badly.
Tips
usage
Common in 停滞 ('to stagnate'), 滞销 ('to sell poorly, be a slow mover') and 呆滞 ('dull, vacant'). The core image is something that should flow but is stuck.
The three-drop water radical on the left gives the meaning: the original sense was water that no longer flows freely, which broadened to anything sluggish or held up.
