What does waterlogging mean?
Waterlogging is the condition that results when soil or another porous material becomes saturated with water. Saturated ground may lose its strength, become difficult to cultivate or travel across, and be badly affected by machinery. The word is also used when water accumulates excessively in excavations, tunnels, basements, drainage systems, and similar places. Waterlogging is therefore related to flooding, but the terms are not exact equivalents: flooding generally emphasizes the presence or arrival of water, whereas waterlogging emphasizes saturation and the resulting loss of stability or usability. In public discussion, the word has occasionally acquired a figurative meaning for any process that has become overloaded or unable to function normally. It is most useful when discussing agriculture, drainage, construction, or transport, where excess moisture can disrupt work, damage infrastructure, and make land temporarily inaccessible.
The process or condition of becoming saturated with water, especially in soil or a confined space.
"Drainage improvements reduced waterlogging around the building."
Usually treated as a mass noun; a countable plural is uncommon but possible for separate recorded instances.
To become or cause to become saturated with water, especially so as to become soft or obstructed.
"Heavy rain is waterlogging the construction site."
This is the present participle or gerund form of the verb waterlog.
Usually encountered as an uncountable mass noun. The plural is rare and appropriate only when referring to separate instances or recorded occurrences.
"The engineer documented waterloggings in several low-lying fields."
Waterlogging turns solid ground into a hidden trap.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does waterlogging come from?
Waterlogging is an English compound formed from water and the verb log, used in the sense of clogging or impeding. The combination developed to describe ground or structures made sodden and obstructed by water. Its related adjective, waterlogged, likewise combines water with log and retains the idea of being impeded by water.
Related word forms
How waterlogging is actually used
Primarily a technical term used in agriculture, civil engineering, construction, and transport. It is sometimes used figuratively for a situation in which a system or process becomes overloaded or obstructed.
Easily confused with waterlogging
Waterlogging names the process or condition, while waterlogged is the adjective describing something saturated with water.