flood

1 of 2

noun

ˈfləd 

1

a

: a rising and overflowing of a body of water especially onto normally dry land

The flood inundated the whole area.

also : a condition of overflowing

rivers in flood

b

capitalized : a flood described in the Bible as covering the earth in the time of Noah

2

: the flowing in of the tide

3

: an overwhelming quantity or volume

received a flood of phone calls

also : a state of abundant flow or volume or of greatest activity

—often used in the phrase in full flood

a debate in full flood

a political movement in full flood

4

: floodlight

flood

2 of 2

verb

flooded; flooding; floods

transitive verb

1

: to cover with a flood : inundate

2

a

: to fill abundantly or excessively

flood the market

b

: to supply an excess of fuel to (an engine, a carburetor, etc.) so that engine operation is hampered

intransitive verb

1

: to pour forth, go, or come in a flood

2

: to become filled with a flood

flooder noun

Synonyms

Noun

• alluvion
• bath
• cataclysm
• cataract
• deluge
• flood tide
• inundation
• Niagara
• overflow
• spate
• torrent

Verb

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

Examples of flood in a Sentence

Noun

A flood inundated the whole area.

the devastating flood of 1936

The water has risen to flood level.

We've received a flood of mail.

a flood of phone calls

Seeing her again brought back a flood of memories.

Verb

Heavy rains flooded the valley.

The rivers are close to flooding.

The valley flooded after the heavy rains.

The plain floods every spring.

The room was flooded with light.

The company plans to flood the market with this product.

The office has been flooded with phone calls.

The phone calls have been flooding in.

Refugees flooded into the camp.

Light flooded into the room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Questions about the state’s rehab capacity also remain, if Proposition 36 works as intended and adds a flood of people into the treatment pipeline. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

The risks are piling up, from a flood of low-quality content and MFA (made-for-advertising) websites to fake celebrities and AI-generated deepfakes that cost one business $25 million in losses. —Ivan Guzenko, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Verb

Since May, Liccardo and Low have duked it out on the campaign trail as millions of dollars flooded the race despite it not being one of California’s key battleground races. —Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

The intrigue: Big donors are flooding Pennsylvania with cash, and much of the attention is on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey's fight to keep his seat. —Alexa Mencia, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English flōd; akin to Old High German fluot flood, Old English flōwan to flow

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1663, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing flood

• flash flood
• flood tide
• in flood
• in full flood

Kids Definition

flood

1 of 2 noun

ˈfləd 

1

a

: a great flow of water that rises and spreads over the land

b

capitalized : a flood described in the Bible as covering the earth in the time of Noah

2

: the flowing in of the tide

3

: an overwhelming quantity or volume

a flood of mail

flood

2 of 2 verb

1

: to cover or become filled with a flood

2

: to fill as if with a flood

a room flooded with light

flood a carburetor

3

: to pour forth, go, or come in a flood

Medical Definition

flood

intransitive verb

ˈfləd 

: to have an excessive menstrual flow or a uterine hemorrhage after childbirth