inundate

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

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

• deluge
• drown
• engulf
• flood
• gulf
• overflow
• overwhelm
• submerge
• submerse
• swamp

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 Oroville region was inundated with a heavy rainstorm that day, causing some 5,000 Butte County residents to lose power, Action News Now reported. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024

For the past couple of years, we’ve been inundated with over-the-top press tours. —Riann Phillip, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2024

After recent reports that Prada is vying to take over Lure’s subterranean space that is in the same building that houses Pradas’s store, Lure’s owner John McDonald has been inundated by inquiries from people in the fashion industry about the situation, including some high-profile diners. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 18 Dec. 2024

Related article What’s next for the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO After the shooting, security firms were inundated with calls from concerned corporations asking to help keep their business leaders safe. —Emma Tucker, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024

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

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