awash

adjective

ə-ˈwȯsh 

-ˈwäsh

1

a

: alternately covered and exposed by waves or tide

b

: washing about : afloat

c

: covered with water : flooded

2

: filled, covered, or completely overrun as if by a flood

a movie awash in sentimentality

Synonyms of awash

• saturated
• dripping
• bathed
• flooded
• soaked
• washed
• saturate
• soaking

Examples of awash in a Sentence

The deck of the boat was almost awash.

the streets were awash from the heavy rains

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, each room is awash in a crisp white color scheme and comes with a private plunge pool. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2026

Now, social media feeds are awash with content from crunchy moms whose videos appear alongside clips about wellness, healthy eating and exercise. —Will Carless, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026

As for Bellingham, Spanish Twitter is often awash with claims of him enjoying the party life too much, rather than focusing his energy on the pitch. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026

The red carpet at this year’s Golden Globe Awards is awash with black gowns and Old Hollywood glamour — and Selena Gomez brought both. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing awash

• drowning/awash in red ink

Rhymes for awash

• backwash
• downwash
• mouthwash
• outwash
• panache
• whitewash
• bosh
• frosh
• gosh
• josh
• posh
• quash

Kids Definition

awash

adjective

ə-ˈwȯsh 

-ˈwäsh

1

: washed by waves or tide

2

: floating about

3

a

: flooded or covered with water

b

: filled or covered as if by a flood

an event awash in emotion

Geographical Definition

Awash

geographical name

ˈä-ˌwäsh 

river 500 miles (805 kilometers) long in eastern Ethiopia flowing northeast