deluge
Americannoun
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a great flood of water; inundation; flood.
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a drenching rain; downpour.
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anything that overwhelms like a flood.
a deluge of mail.
- Synonyms:
- catastrophe, cataclysm
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the Deluge. flood.
noun
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a great flood of water
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torrential rain; downpour
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an overwhelming rush or number
a deluge of requests
verb
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to flood, as with water; soak, swamp, or drown
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to overwhelm or overrun; inundate
noun
Related Words
See flood.
Other Word Forms
- undeluged adjective
Etymology
Origin of deluge
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
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.
The decision arrives not a moment too soon for the online encyclopedia, which has seen a deluge of hallucination-prone A.I.-written articles since ChatGPT’s launch.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
In one town, the slurry knocked out a hydropower project, adding even more water to the deluge as it joined the Teesta, a Himalayan river known for its sinewy twists and turns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Before the deluge of Scottish tries there was another examination of Scotland's resolve.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
They are among 26,000 flood survivors still displaced after a monsoon deluge struck their villages on Sumatra island last year.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
I nodded numbly at the deluge of instructions, latching on to do what she does.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
