waterlog
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause (a boat, ship, etc.) to become uncontrollable as a result of flooding.
-
to soak, fill, or saturate with water so as to make soggy or useless.
verb (used without object)
Etymology
Origin of waterlog
First recorded in 1770–80; apparently back formation from waterlogged
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:
Gusting winds protect the greens while rain can waterlog the seaside links, which see their conditions vary far more dramatically than at parkland-style courses such as Augusta National.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Critics say their dams can flood and waterlog fields while the animals themselves can feed on certain agricultural crops and damage trees.
From BBC ● May 5, 2025
"Beavers can flood and waterlog fields, feed on agricultural crops like maize, as well as damage and fell trees such as cricket bat willow."
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2025
Not at Marvel's oversaturation – we passed the waterlog point long ago.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2023
The wood was soft, felt soft to the point of his knife, and he thought that might mean they would waterlog, but then he decided it wouldn’t matter.
From "The River" by Gary Paulsen
His cellphone, which he was using for navigation, became waterlogged and inoperable, Sato said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
In the filmmaker’s imagination, the trick of hiding Greek warriors inside a wood contraption was more believable if it looked like a waterlogged offering to a god left by a departed army.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Professor Keith Walters from the university said the research suggested where slugs were more likely to show up, in particular how slug clusters re-established themselves after soil was waterlogged.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
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
He dashed into the bathroom, lifted the toilet lid, and there was Furball, so waterlogged and exhausted, he’d been able to utter only the faintest whine.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
Flash floods were waterlogging soils, while droughts were killing off whatever crops survived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Ecologists also observed widespread waterlogging that was damaging native vegetation.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026
Heavy rain and gusty winds lashed India's southern coast as Cyclone Montha started to make landfall on Tuesday, officials said, disrupting flights and triggering waterlogging in low-lying areas.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2025
However, most of these pitches - which are used predominantly in the men's Premier League - are made up of 95% sand and 4-5% polyethylene fibres to help reduce waterlogging.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2025
The English engineers in the main retained the faulty Moghal alignment, and waterlogging of the worst description developed.
From The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir by Sir James McCrone Douie
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