plural swamps
: land that is always wet and often partly covered with water
The area is mostly swamp. [=swampland]
Alligators live in the lowland swamps.
swamps; swamped; swamping
1
: to cover (something) with water
The sea level rose and swamped the coastal villages.
The boat sank after it was swamped by waves.
2
: to cause (someone or something) to have to deal with a very large amount of things or people at the same time
—usually used as (be) swamped
The agency has been swamped by requests for assistance.
I'm swamped with work right now. [=I'm extremely busy right now]
Because of the new laws, we were swamped with paperwork.
In the summer, the town is swamped with/by tourists.
Cite this Entry
“Swamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/swamp. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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