deluge

14 synonyms and 2 antonyms for deluge, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A sudden, heavy flood of water, or an overwhelming rainstorm.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

flood

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

swamp torrent

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

overwhelm downpour submerge pelter soaker alluvion inundate flood out inundation cloudburst waterspout

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A sudden, heavy flood of water, or an overwhelming rainstorm.

“The deluge turned the streets into rivers within minutes.”

flood swamp torrent overwhelm downpour submerge pelter soaker alluvion inundate flood out inundation cloudburst waterspout

Opposites

drought

2. noun

An overwhelming amount of anything arriving at once.

“The company faced a deluge of complaints after the price hike.”

Opposites

dearth

3. verb

To overwhelm someone with a large amount of something.

“Fans deluged the singer with messages after the announcement.”

flood inundate swamp submerge overwhelm

How to use deluge

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a deluge of complaints deluged with requests a sudden deluge

Etymology

From Old French deluge, from Latin diluvium ("a washing away"), related to the verb diluere ("to wash away, dilute").

Full origin of deluge →

Frequently asked questions

What does “deluge” mean?

The word “deluge” means a sudden, heavy flood of water, or an overwhelming rainstorm. In plain terms, a flood — either of water or of things like messages, complaints, or requests, all arriving at once.

How do you pronounce “deluge”?

“Deluge” is pronounced DEHL-yoozh (/ˈdɛl.ju(d)ʒ/ in IPA).

How do you use “deluge” in a sentence?

Here is “deluge” used in a sentence: “The deluge turned the streets into rivers within minutes.”

What part of speech is “deluge”?

Depending on how it is used, “deluge” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “deluge” come from?

The word “deluge” comes from Latin. From Old French deluge, from Latin diluvium ("a washing away"), related to the verb diluere ("to wash away, dilute").

How many meanings does “deluge” have?

“Deluge” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sudden, heavy flood of water, or an overwhelming rainstorm.

Related words

inundate

People also searched

flood drought swamp torrent overwhelm inundate soaker waterspout dearth submerge downpour pelter

Nearby words

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