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Synonyms

waterlogged

American  
[waw-ter-lawgd, -logd, wot-er-] / ˈwɔ tərˌlɔgd, -ˌlɒgd, ˈwɒt ər- /

adjective

  1. so filled or flooded with water as to be heavy or unmanageable, as a ship.

  2. excessively saturated with or as if with water.

    waterlogged ground; waterlogged with fatigue.


waterlogged British  
/ ˈwɔːtəˌlɒɡd /

adjective

  1. saturated with water

  2. (of a vessel still afloat) having taken in so much water as to be unmanageable

"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

Etymology

Origin of waterlogged

1760–70; water + log 1 (apparently in v. sense “(of water) to accumulate in a ship”) + -ed 2

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:

His repeated attempts to flex expensive restaurant bills and hardman tough talk land like a waterlogged handkerchief after he’s spent song after song cataloging all the specific ways we’ve all hurt his feelings.

From Salon May 21, 2026

A spokesperson said one puffin had been found "waterlogged" in Cruden Bay but was being cared for by rescuers.

From BBC Jan. 28, 2026

As the boat became waterlogged, the men were left sitting in frigid water.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 2, 2026

They form when waterlogged soils accumulate layers of dead vegetation over thousands of years.

From Science Daily Nov. 19, 2025

He was a lot heavier than I would have thought, probably because he was so waterlogged.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

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