swamp

1 of 2

noun

ˈswämp How to pronounce swamp (audio)
ˈswȯmp
1
: a wetland often partially or intermittently covered with water
especially : one dominated by woody vegetation
2
: a tract of swamp
3
: a difficult or troublesome situation or subject
swamp adjective

swamp

2 of 2

verb

swamped; swamping; swamps

transitive verb

1
a
: to fill with or as if with water : inundate, submerge
b
: to overwhelm numerically or by an excess of something : flood
swamped with work
2
: to open by removing underbrush and debris

intransitive verb

: to become submerged

Examples of swamp in a Sentence

Noun Alligators live in the lowland swamps. be careful in the swamp, because alligators sometimes lurk there Verb The sea level rose and swamped the coastal villages. The boat sank after it was swamped by waves.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Hinchcliffe’s comments bring front and center this campaign’s commitment to wallow in the swamp of divisiveness, hate, and disinformation. Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 1 Nov. 2024 Inland nature preserves showcase man-grove swamps and pine flatwoods, and Major League Baseball fans can enjoy watching the Atlanta Braves and the Tampa Bay Rays do their annual spring training nearby. Ashley Cusick, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
In addition to our boat and the three that were brought in safely at Winchester Bay, another, a 17-foot outboard cabin cruiser, swamped on the Columbia River bar off Astoria. Orval C. Johnson, Outdoor Life, 31 Oct. 2024 Downtown Indy is sure to be swamped with traffic Nov. 1-3 during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for swamp 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps alteration of Middle English sompe, from Middle Dutch somp morass; akin to Middle High German sumpf marsh, Greek somphos spongy

First Known Use

Noun

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1784, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of swamp was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near swamp

Cite this Entry

“Swamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swamp. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

swamp

1 of 2 noun
ˈswämp How to pronounce swamp (audio)
ˈswȯmp
: wet spongy land often partly covered with water

swamp

2 of 2 verb
1
: to fill or become filled with or as if with water
2
: overwhelm sense 2
was swamped with work

More from Merriam-Webster on swamp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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