inundated

American  

[in-uhn-dey-tid, -uhn-] / ˈɪn ənˌdeɪ tɪd, -ʌn- /

adjective

1. flooded.

   Desperate people in the inundated areas prayed for rescue even as the waters kept rising.

2. overwhelmed by a great volume of something.

   The first congratulatory email was a high for all of us; then we got another, and another, and by the end of the day we had an inundated inbox.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of inundate.

Other Word Forms

• uninundated adjective

Etymology

Origin of inundated

inundate + -ed ²

Explanation

Stand on a busy street corner handing out free cupcakes, and you'll be inundated with hungry customers. Inundated means "overwhelmed". The Latin root of inundated is inundare, literally "to overflow," and "overflowing" is still one of the meanings of the adjective inundated. A river bank can become inundated with water, or flooded, just as a movie star can be inundated with autograph requests.

Example Sentences

When Choudhury posts about which dinosaurs his followers want to see in the film, his replies are quickly inundated with scientific renderings of all kinds of giant beasts.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Rahim Nadali, an official with the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran, said on state television last week that Basij units had been inundated with volunteers.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Across the United States, major airports have been inundated by flight disruptions, security lines spilling out of terminals, air traffic control outages, and overworked and understaffed employees struggling to keep it all running.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026

It is the time of year when dress shops up and down the country are inundated with teenagers seeking the picture-perfect outfit for their school prom.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Adding it to water and active bacteria would quickly get it inundated, replacing any population killed by the Toilet of Doom.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• afloat
• flooded