flooding

American  

[fluhd-ing] / ˈflʌd ɪŋ /

noun

1. a form of psychotherapy in which the patient receives abrupt and intense, rather than gradual, exposure to a fear-producing situation.

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flooding British  

/ ˈflʌdɪŋ /

noun

1. the submerging of land under water, esp due to heavy rain, a lake or river overflowing, etc

2. pathol excessive bleeding from the uterus, as following childbirth

3. psychol a method of eliminating anxiety in a given situation, by exposing a person to the situation until the anxiety subsides

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Etymology

Origin of flooding

1665–75, for sense “flood”; flood + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The Slacks that used to be full of someone’s article going viral or a pitch getting accepted became places where people vented about A.I. slop flooding the platforms we wrote for.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

Add to that Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island nation in October 2025, flooding fertile farmland and destroying crops.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

While these funds have long pitched themselves as stable alternatives to stocks and bonds, investors are now flooding many of them with requests to cash in their shares.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

During a powerful El Niño cycle in 1997-98, an intense string of storms caused flooding and debris flows across the state.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

There are so many thoughts and images flooding my brain, but I try to push them aside.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

• inundation