- flood
- 1
verb
1 COVER WITH WATER (I, T) to make a place become covered, or to become covered with water: Three days of heavy rain flooded many Eastern cities. | The basement flooded and everything got soaked.2 GO/ARRIVE IN LARGE AMOUNTS/NUMBERS (I) to arrive or go somewhere in large numbers(+ in/into/out/across etc): Letters came flooding in from irate viewers. | Refugees flooded across the border.3 be flooded with to receive so many things such as letters, complaints, or inquiries that you cannot deal with them: We've been flooded with offers of help.4 SEND LARGE AMOUNTS/NUMBERS (T) to send a large number of things such as letters or complaints to an organization so that it is difficult for people there to deal with them : flood sth with: Campaigners flooded Congress with letters of protest.5 flood the market to sell something in very large numbers or amounts, so that the price goes down(+ with): Japanese companies were accused of flooding the market with cheap steel.6 RIVER (I, T) if a river floods, it is too full, and spreads water over the land around it7 ENGINE (I, T) if an engine floods or you flood it, it has too much petrol in it, so that it will not start8 LIGHT (I, T) if light floods a place or floods into it, it makes it very light and bright: The sunset flooded the canyon with rose-colored light.9 FEELING (I, T) if a feeling or memory floods over someone or floods back, they feel or remember it very strongly(+ over/back): I felt happiness and relief flooding over me.10 flood with tears if someone's face floods with tears, they cry a lotflood sb out phrasal verb be flooded out to be forced to leave your home because of floods 2 noun1 (C, U) a very large amount of water that covers an area that is usually dry: Floods in Bangladesh caused over 1000 deaths.2 flood of a very large number of things or people that arrive at the same time: A TV show featuring sexy home videos was halted after a flood of complaints.3 in floods of tears crying a lot4 the Flood the great flood described in the Bible story, that covered the world : before the Flood (=a very long time ago)5 be in flood a river that is in flood has much more water in it than usual—see also: flash flood
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.