torrent
Americannoun
-
torrents
plural
adjective
noun
-
a fast, voluminous, or violent stream of water or other liquid
-
an overwhelming flow of thoughts, words, sound, etc
-
computing a file that controls the transfer of data in a BitTorrent system See BitTorrent
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of torrent
1595–1605; < Latin torrent- (stem of torrēns ) seething, literally, burning, present participle of torrēre to burn, parch; see torrid, -ent
Explanation
A torrent is a heavy rain, or the flooding or wildly-running streams it causes, like the torrent that soaks everyone unlucky enough to be out on the street at that moment. Because the noun torrent literally means "rushing stream," it often describes fast-flowing water, like a rainstorm or creeks and rivers that overflow their banks. But the word can also describe any sudden inundation, like a deluge of words or thoughts, like when, in anger, you unleash a torrent of emotional words on your friend. Like a violent storm, you pour those words, not letting up in order to let him or her explain the other side of the story.
Vocabulary lists containing torrent
A Long Walk to Water
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List 5
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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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.
See Examples For:
But that’s not all that happened; the op-ed acted as a dog whistle, bringing out a torrent of abuse.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
His extended absence from filmmaking was necessitated by Adrian’s death in 2016 and the monumental torrent of confusion and emotional displacement that followed.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Moriarty has faced a torrent of online harassment herself about her physical appearance, which recently led her to reveal that she has been suffering from Graves’ disease.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
It was a prescient review given the torrent of public criticism from his own colleagues that was about to be begin.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
Illapa had finally thrown his stone at his sister’s water jug, and it released a torrent of rain that pelted down all about me.
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
For Chris Quinn, the editor of local publications Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer, AI tools have helped tame other torrents facing the industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Spanish police published footage of flooded fields and torrents of water that were engulfing buildings and vehicles.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
The storm sent torrents of muddy water down hillsides and into towns and cities.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025
On the one hand, this is a place that is known to be dangerous—part of Texas’ Flash Flood Alley, where big storms, dry ground, and hilly terrain routinely combine to turn riverbeds into deadly torrents.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2025
The rain was falling harder now, beating the roof of the refectory like the drums of war, running down the sluices in torrents.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
