deluge
Meaning: A severe flood or an overwhelming rush of something. As a verb, to inundate or overwhelm with a great quantity.
Deluge works powerfully in both literal and figurative senses. Literally, it refers to catastrophic flooding — 'the Deluge' with a capital D often refers to Noah's flood. Figuratively, it describes being overwhelmed by volume: 'a deluge of complaints,' 'deluged with applications.' The word conveys a stronger sense of being swamped than 'flood' and appears regularly in journalism and formal writing.
Examples
- The Met Office issued severe warnings as the deluge caused widespread flooding across the Midlands. 气象局发布了严重警告,因为暴雨洪水在中部地区造成了大范围水灾。La Oficina Meteorológica emitió alertas graves cuando el diluvio causó inundaciones generalizadas en las Midlands.気象庁は豪雨がミッドランズ全域に広範な洪水を引き起こしたため、厳重警報を発令した。기상청은 폭우가 미들랜즈 전역에 광범위한 홍수를 일으키자 심각한 경보를 발령했다.
- The announcement prompted a deluge of complaints from residents opposed to the development. 这一公告引发了反对该开发项目的居民的大量投诉。El anuncio provocó un aluvión de quejas de los vecinos opuestos al proyecto.その発表は、開発に反対する住民からの苦情の殺到を引き起こした。그 발표는 개발에 반대하는 주민들의 불만이 쏟아지는 계기가 되었다.
- Customer services were deluged with calls after the pricing error appeared on the website. 价格错误出现在网站上后,客户服务部门被电话淹没了。El servicio de atención al cliente se vio inundado de llamadas tras aparecer el error de precio en la página web.価格の誤表示がウェブサイトに掲載された後、カスタマーサービスは電話で溢れかえった。가격 오류가 웹사이트에 게시된 후 고객 서비스 센터에는 전화가 쇄도했다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: journalism, general, literary
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Old French deluge, from Latin diluvium (a flood, inundation), from diluere (to wash away). The biblical association with the Great Flood cemented the word's dramatic register in English.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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