flood

1 of 2

noun

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

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

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
The channel will connect two sections of the Trinity River north of downtown as a way to improve the city’s flood protection. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2024 Instead, images of floods of migrants stoke real worries about the federal government’s ability to vet so many people so quickly. USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 Disproportionate Impact Natural hazards, ranging from hurricanes to floods, often amplify existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting Black communities. Monica Sanders, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The struggle to put a dent in homelessness, despite a flood of public spending in recent years, has only stoked public frustration over encampments and jarring scenes of human suffering on display on city streets and parks countywide. Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 As severe floods, wildfires and hurricanes get more frequent due to climate change, economists and sociologists are beginning to study the effects of those disasters on people who are in financially and socially formative college years. Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 27 Feb. 2024 The San Diego City Council earlier this month authorized the commission to spend $2.24 million on flood relief. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 In Gaza, where medical emergencies pour into the hospital in a relentless flood, even if paralysis or death loomed, Salma was stable. Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 The Bay Area is also under a flood watch until Wednesday morning, the weather service said. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Farther south, roads and neighborhoods in Eagle Mountain were also flooded by the prickly debris. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Storr and her colleagues had to move the intensive care unit, pediatric department, and maternal care into the emergency room area—the only space not totally flooded. Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 By Wednesday, a petition asking for Cantu’s life to be spared had garnered more than 150,000 signatures as social media flooded with posts pleading with Abbott for clemency — including from the European Union’s ambassador to the United States. María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Particularly around the 8th, your chances grow of getting lost in a new city, the dog eating your passport, or the rains flooding your one viable path out of town. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024 Additionally, earning certifications can boost your confidence and provide a high level of credibility and validation in an unregulated industry flooded with underqualified businesses. Laura Decarlo, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Murder suspect crashes, flips car Acting on a tip from the FBI, officers flooded the streets Monday morning in north Miami-Dade in search of the victim’s car, a red Chevrolet Camaro bearing a Kentucky license plate. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 The Times of San Diego also reported about how the Iris Transit Center in San Ysidro, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, had been flooded with migrants in recent days. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 26 Feb. 2024 But their answers did not seem to satisfy those criticizing the proposal, and at the news conference and online, questions came flooding in. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flood.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of flood was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near flood

Cite this Entry

“Flood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flood. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flood

1 of 2 noun
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
: to have an excessive menstrual flow or a uterine hemorrhage after childbirth

More from Merriam-Webster on flood

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