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 it

7 ENGINE (I, T) if an engine floods or you flood it, it has too much petrol in it, so that it will not start

8 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 lot

flood sb out phrasal verb be flooded out to be forced to leave your home because of floods 2 noun

1 (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 lot

4 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