Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

wash over

British  

verb

  1. (of an emotion) to affect (a person) suddenly and profoundly

  2. (of an event) to have little effect on (a person)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

When I open it, memories wash over me.

From Literature

I did not expect to feel something magical wash over me: the feeling of surprise.

From Salon

Instead of revealing fine details, they tend to wash over microscopic samples.

From Science Daily

He set his feet firmly on the floor, legs apart as if he expected a huge wave or something to wash over him.

From Literature

An overwhelming mix of shame, guilt and love wash over me like a giant wave.

From Literature

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.