inundate

1 of 2

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

inundation

2 of 2

noun

in·​un·​da·​tion ˌi(ˌ)nənˈdāshən 

plural -s

1

: a rising and spreading of water over land not usually submerged : flood

the threat of inundation by the sea

—Lewis Mumford

his tears were not drops but a little inundation down his cheeks

—Glenway Wescott

fossil shells give evidence of prehistoric inundations

2

: deluge, swarm

an inundation of telegrams

an inundation of tourists

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

Verb

• flood
• engulf
• overwhelm
• drown

Examples of inundate in a Sentence

Verb

Rising rivers could inundate low-lying areas.

water from the overflowing bathtub inundated the bathroom floor

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In 1955, a Christmas Eve levee failure at Shanghai Bend on the Feather River inundated 90% of Yuba City and killed 38. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026

The deaths came amid late-season monsoon storms pounding the Navajo Nation, damaging roads, inundating remote communities and prompting a state of emergency. — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

At Tabernacle of Glory, a nondenominational Christian megachurch in Miami Gardens, pastors are being inundated with requests from members who need help with food, rent and legal services. — Lauren Costantino september 19, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

Mud, water and rock inundated several riverside communities near the border with China, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving thousands more missing. — Tarun Gopalakrishnan, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun

Middle English inundacion, from Latin inundation-, inundatio, from inundatus (past participle of inundare) + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

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