Inundating Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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inundating

[หˆษชnสŒndeษชt ]

Definition

Context #1 | Verb

flooding situation

To inundate means to overwhelm someone with things or people to be dealt with. It can also refer to the act of flooding an area with water. This term is commonly used when describing situations where excessive amounts of information, work, or other pressures are placed on someone. In a literal sense, it often pertains to natural disasters where heavy rain causes water levels to rise above normal, flooding streets and homes.

Synonyms

deluge, flood, overrun, overwhelm.

Examples of usage

  • The company is inundating employees with new tasks.
  • After the storm, the town was inundated with water.
  • The email inbox was inundated with messages after the announcement.
  • She felt inundated by the amount of homework assigned.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Literature

  • In literature, inundating can symbolize emotional overwhelm, like when a character feels buried under their feelings.
  • Authors might describe a situation with sensory details, making readers feel the 'inundation' of a scene or moment.

Science

  • In environmental science, 'inundation' refers to the flooding of land areas due to heavy rainfall or rising water levels.
  • Studying flood patterns helps scientists predict and manage natural disasters caused by excessive inundation.

Psychology

  • Experiencing too much information at once can lead to cognitive overload, which is a psychological form of inundation.
  • People might respond to overwhelming tasks or data by shutting down or losing focus, illustrating the effect of being inundated.

Pop Culture

  • In movies or TV shows, inundating situations often create tension, like characters overwhelmed by challenges they must overcome.
  • The term is sometimes used humorously in social media to describe a flood of notifications or messages.

Origin of 'inundating'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Latin 'inundare,' meaning 'to overflow' or 'to flood.'
  • It has been used in English since the early 17th century, often in contexts related to water and later to ideas and tasks.

The word 'inundate' comes from the Latin 'inundare', which means 'to overwhelm' or 'to flood.' This word is a combination of 'in-' meaning 'in, upon' and 'undare' meaning 'to wave or flow.' Its earliest recorded use in English dates back to the 15th century, when it was adopted to describe the flooding of land by water. Over time, its usage evolved to encompass both literal and figurative meanings, where it can describe both physical flooding (such as a river overflowing) and metaphorical flooding (such as being inundated with responsibilities or information). The shift in meaning illustrates how language adapts to environmental and societal needs, reflecting changes in how people experience and describe overwhelming situations.


Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #35,259, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.