swamp

1 of 2

noun

ˈswämp 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• bog
• fen
• marsh
• marshland
• mire
• moor
• morass
• muskeg
• slough
• slew
• slue
• swampland
• wash
• wetland

Verb

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

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

Noun

The Daily Mail moreover published photos which purported to show DeGeneres’s property left in a swamp of flood water. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2024

On a trek through the forest, Nora’s guide signalled for the group to stop near the bank of a swamp. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

Verb

Drone footage, posted on X by Spanish police, captures the scale of destruction, revealing entire villages swamped by the torrent. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

During the pandemic, SBA was swamped with requests for help. —Doug Criscitello, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing swamp

• swamp buggy

Kids Definition

swamp

1 of 2 noun

ˈswämp 

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