inundate

verb in·un·date \ ˈi-(ˌ)nən-ˌdāt \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: inundate in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of inundate

inundated; inundating

transitive verb

1 : to cover with a flood : overflow

2 : overwhelm

was inundated with phone calls

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inundation

play \ˌi-(ˌ)nən-ˈdā-shən\ noun

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inundator

play \ˈi-(ˌ)nən-ˌdā-tər\ noun

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inundatory

play \i-ˈnən-də-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective

See inundate defined for English-language learners

See inundate defined for kids

Examples of inundate in a Sentence

Rising rivers could inundate low-lying areas.
water from the overflowing bathtub inundated the bathroom floor

Recent Examples of inundate from the Web

The wetlands are inundated by the East River twice a day through a culvert on the property.

— helene stapinski, New York Times, "On the Resilient Waterfront," 31 May 2018
Some communities were inundated by lava soon after, and over the years hundreds of homes have been lost.

— jim carlton, WSJ, "Hawaii Homes in Lava’s Path Were Built Decades Ago Despite Geologic Threat," 28 May 2018
Prepare to be inundated with compliments from strangers on the street.

— marina liao, Marie Claire, "The Only 3 Shoes You Need to Pack for Vacation," 25 May 2018
Animal Control and the slaughterhouse were inundated with calls from citizens, begging them to spare Queenie’s life.

— Longreads, "Wild At Heart," 17 May 2018
After the incident, people inundated the law firm's social media accounts with messages.

— faith karimi, CNN, "NY man to people speaking Spanish at restaurant: 'My next call is to ICE'," 17 May 2018
The post from Leipzig, whilst being littered with responses from their own supporters, was also inundated by excited Liverpool fans who cannot wait to see Keita at Anfield in a red shirt...

— SI.com, "RB Leipzig Post Classy Sendoff for Naby Keita on Twitter Ahead of Liverpool Switch," 16 May 2018
Since 15 new fissures opened up last week, lava has inundated the Leilani subdivision, starting fires and destroying at least 36 buildings.

— james burch, National Geographic, "Kilauea Photographers Aid Relief Effort in Hawaii Community," 12 May 2018
We have been inundated, lately, with stories of people who are victims of circumstance and addiction.

— christine m. flowers, Philly.com, "'Damage control' language on opioids is a mistake | Christine Flowers," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inundate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In the summer of 1993, record rains in the Midwest caused the Mississippi River to overflow its banks, break through levees, and inundate the entire countryside; such an inundation hadn't been seen for at least a hundred years. By contrast, the Nile River inundated its entire valley every year, bringing the rich black silt that made the valley one of the most fertile places on earth. (The inundations ceased with the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1970.) Whenever a critical issue is being debated, the White House and Congressional offices are inundated with phone calls and e-mails, just as a town may be inundated with complaints when it starts charging a fee for garbage pickup.

Origin and Etymology of inundate

Latin inundatus, past participle of inundare, from in- + unda wave — more at water

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1590

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

inundate Synonyms

INUNDATE Defined for English Language Learners

inundate

verb

Definition of inundate for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone or something) to receive or take in a large amount of things at the same time
: to cover (something) with a flood of water

INUNDATE Defined for Kids

inundate

verb in·un·date \ ˈin-ən-ˌdāt \

Definition of inundate for Students

inundated; inundating

: to cover with or as if with a flood

I'm inundated by mail.

Word Root of inundate

The Latin word unda, meaning “wave,” gives us the root und. Words from the Latin unda have something to do with waves. To undulate is to move up and down like a wave. To inundate is to cover with a flood of waves. To surround, or encircle on all sides, is to enclose as if by waves. To abound is to be plentiful, like waves in the ocean.