landslide

[land-slahyd]

noun

1. the downward falling or sliding of a mass of soil, detritus, or rock on or from a steep slope.

2. the mass itself.

3. an election in which a particular victorious candidate or party receives an overwhelming mass or majority of votes.

   the 1936 landslide for Roosevelt.

4. any overwhelming victory.

   She won the contest by a landslide.

verb (used without object)

landslid, landslid, landslidden, landsliding. 

1. to come down in or as in a landslide.

2. to win an election by an overwhelming majority.

landslide

/ ˈlændˌslaɪd /

noun

1. Also called: landslip. 

   1. the sliding of a large mass of rock material, soil, etc, down the side of a mountain or cliff

   2. the material dislodged in this way

2. 1. an overwhelming electoral victory

   2. ( as modifier )

      a landslide win

landslide

1. The rapid downward sliding of a mass of earth and rock. Landslides usually move over a confined area. Many kinds of events can trigger a landslide, such as the oversteepening of slopes by erosion associated with rivers, glaciers, or ocean waves; heavy snowmelt which saturates soil and rock; or earthquakes that lead to the failure of weak slopes.

2. The mass of soil and rock that moves in this way.

Word History and Origins

Origin of landslide¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; land + slide

Example Sentences

About 66 million years ago, scientists believe, a city-size asteroid crashed into Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, precipitating a series of worldwide catastrophes: a massive earthquake, landslides, wildfires, tsunamis and temperatures reaching 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Neighbouring Nepal, to the south of Tibet, has also been battered by torrential rains, triggering severe flooding and landslides that have killed more than 50 people.

Read more on BBC

Earthquakes trigger submarine landslides, and leave deposits called “turbidites” that are buried over time.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mahan won the mayor’s race — narrowly, in a major upset — and was reelected two years later in a November 2024 landslide.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The police, however, said that they could not take any chances as the area was prone to landslides during the monsoon season.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• avalanche 
• mudslide