deluge

[del-yooj, -yoozh, del-ooj, -oozh, dih-looj, -loozh]

noun

1. a great flood of water; inundation; flood.

2. a drenching rain; downpour.

3. anything that overwhelms like a flood.

   a deluge of mail.

   Synonyms: catastrophe, cataclysm

4. the Deluge. flood.

verb (used with object)

deluged, deluging 

1. to flood; inundate.

2. to overrun; overwhelm.

   She was deluged with congratulatory letters.

deluge

¹

/ ˈdɛljuːdʒ /

noun

1. a great flood of water

2. torrential rain; downpour

3. an overwhelming rush or number

   a deluge of requests

verb

1. to flood, as with water; soak, swamp, or drown

2. to overwhelm or overrun; inundate

Deluge

²

/ ˈdɛljuːdʒ /

noun

1. another name for the Flood

Other Word Forms

• undeluged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deluge¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin dīluvium “flood,” equivalent to dīluv-, base of dīluere “to wash away, dissolve” ( dī- di ² + -luere, combining form of lavere “to wash”) + -ium -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of deluge¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin dīluvium a washing away, flood, from dīluere to wash away, drench, from di- _dis- ¹ + -luere, from lavere to wash

Synonym Study

See flood.

Example Sentences

The Sora app - which makes it easy for users to post videos they have created to social media - has resulted in a deluge of videos on social feeds.

Read more on BBC

The deluge of dust could help explain why astronomers have struggled to find red supergiant progenitors.

Read more on Science Daily

Critics have accused both companies of contributing to a deluge of so-called AI slop swamping the internet and blurring lines between real and fake.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There are a smattering of major companies reporting results for the third quarter this week, but the earnings deluge really kicks in the week of October 13.

Read more on Barron's

County Board of Supervisors is considering issuing a state of emergency to provide the board with more power to assist those affected by the deluge of detainments and deportations.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• douse 
• drench 
• engulf 
• flood 
• overflow 
• overrun 
• overwhelm 
• soak 
• submerge 
• swamp