awash

¹ American  

[uh-wosh, uh-wawsh] / əˈwɒʃ, əˈwɔʃ /

adjective

1. Nautical.

   1. just level with or scarcely above the surface of the water, so that waves break over the top.

   2. overflowing with water, as the upper deck of a ship in a heavy sea.

2. covered with water.

3. washing about; tossed about by the waves.

4. covered, filled, or crowded.

   streets awash with shoppers; a garden awash in brilliant colors.

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Awash ² American  

[ah-wahsh] / ˈɑ wɑʃ /

Also Hawash

noun

1. a river in E Ethiopia, flowing NE through the Great Rift Valley to near the Djibouti border. 500 miles (805 km) long.

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awash British  

/ əˈwɒʃ /

adverb

1. at a level even with the surface of the sea

2. washed over by the waves

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Etymology

Origin of awash

First recorded in 1825–35; a- ¹ + wash

Example Sentences

Social media was awash with supporters asking how Oliver could just ignore the laws of the game and choose to play no added time.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Debunked claims routinely resurface across platforms awash with fakes, a pattern some researchers call "zombie" misinformation.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

It gets inside your head, infecting the digital realm so connected to our collective psyches, awash in social media and streaming algorithms.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

In a turbulent market awash in a new class of AI fears, though, that’s no longer enough.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Below them a hook of land shrouded in the dark scud blowing down the shore and beyond that lying half over and awash the shape of a sailboat’s hull.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Related Words

• afloat
• flooded
• inundated