deluge

noun

/ˈdeljuːdʒ/

[usually singular]

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a severe flood; a sudden very heavy fall of rain synonym flood
- When the snow melts, the mountain stream becomes a deluge.
- The earlier deluge had given way to more normal rain.
- An unseasonable deluge had washed away a section of river bank.
Topics Weatherc2
a large number of things that happen or arrive at the same time
- a deluge of calls/complaints/letters
- The firm was at a loss to explain the sudden deluge of publicity.

Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, variant of diluve, from Latin diluvium, from diluere ‘wash away’.

verb

/ˈdeljuːdʒ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they deluge	/ˈdeljuːdʒ/ /ˈdeljuːdʒ/
he / she / it deluges	/ˈdeljuːdʒɪz/ /ˈdeljuːdʒɪz/
past simple deluged	/ˈdeljuːdʒd/ /ˈdeljuːdʒd/
past participle deluged	/ˈdeljuːdʒd/ /ˈdeljuːdʒd/
-ing form deluging	/ˈdeljuːdʒɪŋ/ /ˈdeljuːdʒɪŋ/

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[usually passive] to send or give somebody/something a large number of things at the same time synonym flood, inundate
- be deluged (with something) We have been deluged with applications for the job.
- He was deluged with phone calls from friends and colleagues.
- deluge somebody/something (with something) Applicants deluged the office with calls.
[often passive] (formal) to flood a place with water
- be deluged (by something) The campsite was deluged by a flash flood.

Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, variant of diluve, from Latin diluvium, from diluere ‘wash away’.