deluge

[ del-yooj, -yoozh, del-ooj, -oozh, dih-looj, -loozh ]
/ ˈdɛl yudʒ, -yuʒ, ˈdɛl udʒ, -uʒ, dɪˈludʒ, -ˈluʒ /
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noun

a great flood of water; inundation; flood.
a drenching rain; downpour.
anything that overwhelms like a flood: a deluge of mail.
the Deluge. flood(def 3).

verb (used with object), del·uged, del·ug·ing.

to flood; inundate.
to overrun; overwhelm: She was deluged with congratulatory letters.

Origin of deluge

1325–75; Middle English < Old French < Latin dīluvium flood, equivalent to dīluv-, base of dīluere to wash away, dissolve ( dī- di2 + -luere, combining form of lavere to wash) + -ium -ium

SYNONYMS FOR deluge

1 See flood.
3 cataclysm, catastrophe.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR deluge ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM deluge

un·del·uged, adjective

Words nearby deluge

deltoid muscle, deltoidal, delts, delubrum, delude, deluge, delusion, delusion of grandeur, delusion of negation, delusion of persecution, delusional

Words related to deluge

inundation, spate, avalanche, barrage, cataclysm, torrent, drench, soak, flood, overwhelm, swamp, douse, submerge, overflow, overrun, engulf, teem, inundate, overload, overcrowd

Example sentences from the Web for deluge

British Dictionary definitions for deluge (1 of 2)

deluge
/ (ˈdɛljuːdʒ) /

noun

a great flood of water
torrential rain; downpour
an overwhelming rush or number a deluge of requests

verb (tr)

to flood, as with water; soak, swamp, or drown
to overwhelm or overrun; inundate

Word Origin for deluge

C14: from Old French, from Latin dīluvium a washing away, flood, from dīluere to wash away, drench, from di- dis- 1 + -luere, from lavere to wash

British Dictionary definitions for deluge (2 of 2)

Deluge
/ (ˈdɛljuːdʒ) /

noun

the Deluge another name for the Flood