inundate

verb

in·​un·​date ˈi-(ˌ)nən-ˌdāt 

inundated; inundating

transitive verb

1

: overwhelm

was inundated with phone calls

2

: to cover with a flood : overflow

inundation

ˌi-(ˌ)nən-ˈdā-shən 

noun

inundator

ˈi-(ˌ)nən-ˌdā-tər 

noun

inundatory

i-ˈnən-də-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

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 emails, just as a town may be inundated with complaints when it starts charging a fee for garbage pickup.

Synonyms of inundate

• flood
• engulf
• overwhelm
• drown

Examples of inundate in a Sentence

Rising rivers could inundate low-lying areas.

water from the overflowing bathtub inundated the bathroom floor

Recent Examples on the Web

Several neighbors in this stretch of homes were inundated with floodwaters as storms brought several inches of rain in less than an hour. — Dan Snyder, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Like many other large cities, much of Los Angeles’ vast network of water mains and trunk lines were installed at the turn of the 20th century and are at risk of breaking, disrupting service and potentially inundating communities with water. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

The flooding left behind scenes of destruction across West Virginia, including a hotel in Weston where floodwaters poured into the lobby as water inundated parts of the property. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Five years later, Florida school boards are still inundated with requests to ban books. — Trinity Webster-Bass, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for inundate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

inundate

verb

in·​un·​date ˈin-(ˌ)ən-ˌdāt 

inundated; inundating

1

: to cover with a flood : deluge entry 1

2

: overwhelm sense 2

inundated with email

inundation

ˌin-(ˌ)ən-ˈdā-shən 

noun