torrent

[tawr-uhnt, tor-]

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

adjective

1. torrential.

torrent

/ 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

adjective

1. rare,  like or relating to a torrent

Word History and Origins

Origin of torrent¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of torrent¹

C17: from French, from Latin torrēns (noun), from torrēns (adjective) burning, from torrēre to burn

Example Sentences

But on the Italians’ opening night, the torrents of rain short-circuited TV monitors and panelists struggled to give their presentations.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Each delivery brought a fresh torrent of mail to Number Twelve Muffinshire Lane.

Read more on Literature

More broadly, business leaders across Europe have grown frustrated at the torrent of legislation that has been gushing from Brussels in recent years, not just covering tech.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But investors are now worried the incoming torrent of data could swing markets and upend bets on a December interest-rate cut that they had once taken for granted.

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To an outsider, this torrent of picayune detail about the financial markets would have been disorienting.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

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