inundate

verb

in·​un·​date ˈi-(ˌ)nən-ˌdāt How to pronounce inundate (audio)
inundated; inundating

transitive verb

1
: overwhelm
was inundated with phone calls
2
: to cover with a flood : overflow
inundation noun
inundator noun
inundatory 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.

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 Soon after, Adams and the owners were inundated with requests for shorts repping other neighborhoods, like Dorchester, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. Steph Solis, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024 Roswell was inundated with an all-time record daily rainfall of 5.78 inches -- higher than the previous record of 5.65 inches set on Nov. 1, 1901. David Brennan, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2024 Read the full Pisces Daily Horoscope Aries (March 21 - April 19) Mentally inundated? USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024 More than 500 people were rescued on Thursday, Oct. 10 from a Clearwater apartment complex that was inundated with flooding, according to NBC affiliate WFLA and FOX affiliate WTVT. Abigail Adams, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inundate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inundate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of inundate was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near inundate

Cite this Entry

“Inundate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inundate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

inundate

verb
in·​un·​date ˈin-(ˌ)ən-ˌdāt How to pronounce inundate (audio)
inundated; inundating
1
: to cover with a flood : deluge entry 1
2
: overwhelm sense 2
inundated with email
inundation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on inundate

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