What does inundate mean?
Inundate means to flood an area completely with water, as a river may inundate fields, roads, or buildings. It can also be used figuratively when people, organizations, or markets are overwhelmed by a large quantity of something: a help desk may be inundated with requests, or a market may be inundated with low-priced products. The word is formal and carries a strong sense of force and completeness rather than merely increasing the amount of something. Its figurative uses often describe circumstances that are difficult to manage because of the scale of the influx. Inundate is related to the Latin word for a wave and shares a root with words such as abound and undulate. It is especially useful when describing a sudden or overwhelming flood, whether physical or metaphorical.
verbTo flood or cover an area completely with water. Figuratively, to overwhelm someone or something with a large amount of something.
- To flood or submerge an area completely with water.
- To overwhelm someone with a large amount of information, requests, problems, or another intangible quantity.
- To overwhelm a market, organization, or field with a large quantity of something.
"Heavy rain inundated the low-lying streets, forcing residents to abandon their homes."
"The river inundated the fields after days of torrential rain."
"The customer-support team was inundated with complaints following the announcement."
From the Latin for “wave,” inundate literally means to cover with water—and figuratively, to overwhelm.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inundate come from?
Inundate comes from the Latin inundare, meaning “to flood,” formed from the prefix in- and unda, meaning “wave.” English borrowed the word in the early 17th century, initially with a literal sense related to flooding and later extending to the idea of overwhelming someone with a large amount. Its root is also reflected in related Latin-derived words such as abound and undulate.
Related word forms
How inundate is actually used
In its literal sense, inundate is formal and often describes water covering land or structures. In figurative use, it suggests an overwhelming quantity or intensity and is commonly followed by “with.”