Synonyms

swamped

American

[swompt] / swɒmpt /

adjective

filled or covered with water; flooded; inundated.

The most important thing we learned is how to paddle a swamped canoe back in to shore.
He saw lines of people walking along the swamped road, completely drenched.
overwhelmed, especially with an excess of something.

The website outage was most likely caused by swamped servers.
Whether it's helping a swamped colleague with a project or buying a stranger a cup of coffee, any small act of kindness can boost happiness.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of swamp.

Etymology

Origin of swamped

swamp ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

If it is the fate of all men to be eclipsed by time, it is the special fate of the reformers of the day to be swamped by the incoming tide of tomorrow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

A more modern Mongolian issue: When the collection went online last month, the company was swamped with orders and struggled to meet demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

The dinghy they were travelling on became swamped and capsized in the early hours of 24 November 2021, in what became the deadliest Channel small boat incident on record.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

"It was so hard, we were in so much trouble at the back, we got swamped, and on that last climb I was on my absolute limit," Welsford said.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

While Quines is clearing the dishes and the others are set- ting out coffee, I notice the sweat beaded on their foreheads and I can see in their eyes that they’re swamped.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023