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 The photo was inundated with comments critical of Biden, and for a time removed from her page until The Post inquired about its deletion. Dylan Wells, Washington Post, 5 July 2024 While the moratorium was inspired by residents feeling inundated by solar projects that carpet their desert landscapes only to export the energy elsewhere via the Western transmission grid, the region is also home to an array of other existing and proposed gas power plants. Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 1 July 2024 Rust, 83, who is hard of hearing and has cancer in his right arm, was in one of the hundreds of homes that was inundated with floodwaters from the Little Sioux River on Saturday. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 28 June 2024 Federal courts will soon be inundated with lawsuits forcing them to decide questions like these, which, under Chevron, have been the ken of federal agencies. Ian Millhiser, Vox, 28 June 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 15 Jul. 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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