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

Heavy rains lashed the region again last month, forcing the closure of schools and universities, disrupting rail and road travel and causing localised flooding.

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Floodwaters from a glacial outburst poured through Juneau, Alaska, Wednesday, but the state’s capital seemed to have dodged catastrophic flooding that many officials feared.

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Residents across North Carolina’s Outer Banks and coast braced for flooding from a storm surge and powerful winds as Hurricane Erin churned hundreds of miles away in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Last month, a similar pattern that pulled moisture north from Tropical Storm Mario triggered dangerous mudslides in the San Bernardino County mountains and flooding in the Inland Empire that killed one child.

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The design of the ADU was carefully considered to maximize space and light, with a skylight and high window flooding the space with light.

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Related Words

• inundation