torrent

American  

[tawr-uhnt, tor-] / ˈtɔr ənt, ˈtɒr- /

noun

1. a stream of water flowing with great rapidity and violence.

2. a rushing, violent, or abundant and unceasing stream of anything.

   a torrent of lava.

3. a violent downpour of rain.

4. a violent, tumultuous, or overwhelming flow.

   a torrent of abuse.

   Synonyms:

   spate, flood, deluge, outburst

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adjective

1. torrential.

torrent British  

/ ˈtɒrənt /

noun

1. a fast, voluminous, or violent stream of water or other liquid

2. an overwhelming flow of thoughts, words, sound, etc

3. computing a file that controls the transfer of data in a BitTorrent system See BitTorrent

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adjective

1. rare like or relating to a torrent

Etymology

Origin of torrent

1595–1605; < Latin torrent- (stem of torrēns ) seething, literally, burning, present participle of torrēre to burn, parch; torrid, -ent

Example Sentences

Lytle Creek was among San Bernardino County communities hit hard by the holiday storm, which brought a torrent of rain to parts of the San Gabriel Mountains.

From Los Angeles Times

Saadaoui came to the attention of the authorities when he used 10 Facebook accounts, none of which were in his own name, to spread a torrent of Islamic extremist views.

From BBC

That leaves inflation slightly below where it started in January, despite a torrent of trade levies in April that economists said were sure to slow economic growth and raise prices.

From Barron's

After four years of choppiness in the market for new stock offerings, bankers and investors are bracing for a slate of blockbuster listings in 2026—and wondering if the market can handle the torrent.

From The Wall Street Journal

His biggest fear, as creator of worlds, is losing imagination because of the endless torrent of algorithms.

From BBC

Related Words

• cascade
• deluge
• downpour
• flood
• outburst
• spate
• stream
• tide
• waterfall