Deluge: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Deluge noun. A heavy downpour of rain, or a great flood.
How to say it
DEL-yooj/ˈdɛljuːdʒ/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (DEL).
Meanings
- A heavy downpour of rain, or a great flood.
- A great quantity of something arriving all at once.
Deluge in a sentence
The deluge lasted twenty minutes and left the car park ankle-deep.
After the advert aired, the shop faced a deluge of orders it couldn’t possibly fill.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- downpour
- flood
- torrent
- inundation
Opposite:
- trickle
- drought
Where deluge comes from
From Old French, from Latin diluvium, a flood, from diluere, to wash away.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
After the advert aired, the shop faced a _____ of orders it couldn’t possibly fill.
- petrichor
- squall
- deluge
Show the answer
deluge: After the advert aired, the shop faced a deluge of orders it couldn’t possibly fill.