English vocabulary · C2
Inundate
/ˈɪn.ʌn.deɪt/ · v.
To inundate someone is to send them far more work than they can do alone. They get so much at once that they cannot finish it all.
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Example sentences
- Fans inundate the star with mail.
- Inundated with calls, she needs help.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- in — onto (from Latin)
- und — wave (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- FLOOD — fill with too much (Arrive in huge amounts)
- SWAMP — give too much work (More than someone can do)
- OVERWHELM — make unable to act (Too much to face)
Words with the same root
und — wave
- abundant — more than enough
- redundant — extra and not needed
- undulate — move in waves
Lesson notes
To inundate someone is to send them far more work than they can do alone. They get so much at once that they cannot finish it all.
Related: flood, swamp, overwhelm. Use inundate when too much comes at once.
Fans inundate the star with mail. Inundated with calls, she needs help.
From Latin. In- means onto. Und- means wave. A wave onto the land can inundate homes.