awash
1 Americanadjective
-
Nautical.
-
just level with or scarcely above the surface of the water, so that waves break over the top.
-
overflowing with water, as the upper deck of a ship in a heavy sea.
-
-
covered with water.
-
washing about; tossed about by the waves.
-
covered, filled, or crowded.
streets awash with shoppers; a garden awash in brilliant colors.
noun
adverb
-
at a level even with the surface of the sea
-
washed over by the waves
Etymology
Origin of awash
Explanation
When something's awash, it's doused or covered with water. If your canoe is awash with seawater, it's time to start bailing. A beach might be awash during high tide, and your beach cottage could be awash after a tropical rain. The decks of a boat are often described as being awash during a storm, flooded with water. Things can be figuratively awash, too: "The movie premiere was awash with photographers and fans." Awash was originally a nautical word meaning "flush with," from the 15th-century meaning of wash, "land alternately covered and exposed by the sea."
Vocabulary lists containing awash
The Cay
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Wolf Hollow
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Call It Courage
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Social media is awash in content about the arcane: how-tos for spellcasting, psychics claiming to foretell the future and endless posts about casting out demons.
From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026
With that gone, sales could fall 50% in 2026, leaving the industry awash in unused EV capacity.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
By the time Bildstein arrived, neighborhoods such as Williamsburg and Bushwick were awash with semilegal venues.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
The audience rehashed its hunches, they circled potential suspects, they stared at a static image of a horrific crime scene, awash in twinkling moonlight.
From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026
When they are near to an answer their hair stands on end, they sweat, they are awash in their own adrenalin.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
