wash over
Britishverb
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(of an emotion) to affect (a person) suddenly and profoundly
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(of an event) to have little effect on (a person)
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.
Akira tried to sit with her anxiety, letting it wash over her like a wave, the way her therapist had been teaching her.
From Literature
She closed her eyes and let low-muttered Swedish wash over her, glad at least this was a language that she hadn’t yet learned.
From Literature
Clara felt a wave of relief wash over her.
From Literature
A wave of the highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus is beginning to wash over the United States, sending greater numbers of babies and toddlers to the hospital for professional care.
From Los Angeles Times
As the show starts in the 500-seat theatre in Huddersfield, bright lights wash over the children's faces, their ears startled by the band.
From BBC
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.
