Synonyms of bayou

bayou

noun

ˈbī-(ˌ)ü 

as in tributary

a stream that flows into a larger body of water

a small creek that is the bayou of a larger stream

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tributary
• feeder
• affluent
• branch
• influent
• confluent
• creek
• backwater
• headwater
• brook
• rivulet
• rill
• source
• streamlet
• brooklet
• run
• fountainhead
• headstream
• head

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• effluent
• distributary

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bayou

Goaded on by a governor, who handpicked the university president and staged a coup to overthrow one athletic director in order to hire Kiffin, the bayou bandits are proudly wearing their black hats. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Henley was raised in a tiny Texas town bound by bayou and pine, the same place that produced Scott Joplin and T-Bone Walker. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026

Now the sound was muffled from the hunters as the dogs passed around a canebrake wall bordered by a dark bayou. — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Day One of the conference was unfortunately a bit muted this time around as Tropical Storm Bertha ripped across the Gulf Coast, unleashing its power across the Louisiana bayou. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026