flooding

[ fluhd-ing ]

noun

1. a form of psychotherapy in which the patient receives abrupt and intense, rather than gradual, exposure to a fear-producing situation.

flooding

/ ˈflʌdɪŋ /

noun

1. the submerging of land under water, esp due to heavy rain, a lake or river overflowing, etc
2. pathol excessive bleeding from the uterus, as following childbirth
3. psychol a method of eliminating anxiety in a given situation, by exposing a person to the situation until the anxiety subsides

Word History and Origins

Origin of flooding¹

1665–75, for sense “flood”; flood + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The area deals with both polluted waters due to toxic runoff, and severe flooding risks due to the stormwater system’s condition.

From Voice of San Diego

It is relatively rare to have a collapsed glacier trigger this kind of flooding, with the last such event occurring in 2016 in Tibet.

From Washington Post

Many of them lived through Tropical Storm Isabel in 2003, a 100-year storm that left some residents thinking it would be the worst flooding event of their lives.

From Washington Post

Muhyiddin said flooding in a number of states also contributed to the need for increased powers in addition to the virus.

From Fortune

City officials said the flooding was exacerbated not just by their aging stormwater system, but by runoff from logging above the town.

From ProPublica

Monsoon rains sparked widespread flooding that submerged the camp in water.

From The Daily Beast

I stumble through interviews for my job at NY1, memories flooding back.

From The Daily Beast

In February 2011, during a winter storm, a tree fell into a creek in Franklin Township, New Jersey, and caused flooding.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile her husband William and his brother Harry were busy laying sandbags in towns affected by flooding.

From The Daily Beast

The game consists of flooding the bathroom with water, hiking up your skirt, and then gliding over the stream.

From The Daily Beast

A crevasse was made in the levee above New Orleans flooding much of the city.

From Project Gutenberg

And he laughed again as the memories came back with a rush, flooding his mind with vivid detail.

From Project Gutenberg

The late moon had risen and was flooding the grounds with its light, bringing out distinctly the objects nearest to him.

From Project Gutenberg

The sun was setting behind the purple hills, flooding the green fields and silver sea with the crimson of his parting rays.

From Project Gutenberg

These battles were fought in a sea of mud formed by the rain and the flooding of the land by the Belgians.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• inundation