What does deluging mean?
Deluging is the present participle of the verb "to deluge," which means to overwhelm something with an overwhelming quantity of things or, more literally, to flood it with water. In modern usage the word is overwhelmingly figurative: news outlets report that offices are deluged with phone calls, politicians are deluging journalists with statements, and companies are deluged by customer complaints. The figurative force comes from the word's origin — a deluge is a great flood, most famously the biblical Deluge of Noah — so deluging always carries the image of an unstoppable, engulfing torrent. The verb belongs chiefly to formal and journalistic writing rather than casual conversation, and it appears most often in progressive and passive constructions. It pairs naturally with prepositions like "with" and "by" (deluging someone with requests; deluged by mail). A close synonym is inundating, though deluging suggests greater volume and force.
To overwhelm someone or something with a great quantity of things, such as messages, complaints, or gifts; to flood.
"Fans were deluging the singer's social media accounts with congratulatory messages."
Usually appears in progressive tenses (is/was deluging) or in the passive (was deluged with/by); figurative usage predominates over the literal watery sense.
To flood or drench with water; to inundate.
"Storm drains, unable to cope, were deluging the streets below."
When the internet loves or hates you, it doesn't trickle in — it starts deluging, drowning your inbox in a flood that literally borrows its name from Noah's Flood.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deluging
Deluging derives from "deluge," which entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old French, ultimately tracing back to Latin diluvium, meaning a flood or washing away, formed from dis- and luere, "to wash." The same Latin root gives English words such as antediluvian (before the Flood), diluvial, and diluent. The verb "to deluge" developed later, and its figurative use for overwhelming quantities of anything grew naturally out of the literal sense of flooding.
Related word forms
How deluging is actually used
Mostly used in formal and journalistic registers, typically in the progressive or passive voice ("was deluging," "was deluged by"). The figurative sense — being overwhelmed with communications or demands — is far more common today than the literal watery sense.
Easily confused with deluging
"Indulging" means allowing oneself or another a pleasure, while "deluging" means overwhelming with a flood of something.