Word
avalanche
US/ˈævəˌɫæntʃ/
UK/ˈævəlˌɑːnʃ/
Definitions
01snow or rock slide
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a large mass of snow, ice, or rocks that falls quickly down the side of a mountain.
n. a rapid descent of a large mass of snow, ice, soil, or rock down a mountainside or slope.
“The hikers were warned to stay off the peak because of the risk of an avalanche.”
“Rescue teams were deployed immediately after the avalanche buried the mountain pass, though heavy snowfall hampered their initial search efforts.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of' followed by the material, such as 'an avalanche of mud'.
Synonyms
02overwhelming amount
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a very large amount of something that arrives suddenly and is difficult to handle.
n. a sudden and overwhelming influx or quantity of something, typically abstract or communicative.
“The company received an avalanche of complaints after the website stopped working.”
“Following the controversial announcement, the press office had to manage an avalanche of enquiries from international media outlets.”
Usage
Commonly used in the pattern 'an avalanche of [plural noun]'.
Antonyms
03to fall or overwhelm
C2 · Proficiency Literary
v. to fall down like a mountain slide, or to overwhelm someone with too much of something.
v. to descend in the manner of an avalanche or to overwhelm a subject with a sudden, massive quantity.
“The rocks started to avalanche down the cliff after the heavy rain.”
“The sheer volume of data threatened to avalanche the research team, forcing them to adopt more automated filtering methods.”
Usage
Can be used intransitively for physical movement or transitively when describing the act of overwhelming someone.
Real-World Examples
“The avalanche buried the base camp of the 7,126-metre (23,379-foot) Himlung Himal mountain in the northern Manang district over the weekend where the Nepali workers were pitching tents and fixing ropes.” “The avalanche swept down Mount Mizhirgi, one of the highest peaks in Russia's North Caucasus, at around 5 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Sunday, hitting a group of 33 climbers.” “Initial reports from Nepal had suggested that an earthquake may have triggered the ice avalanche and landslide.” “Initial reports suggested an earthquake had triggered an avalanche and caused the floods, Shisir Khanal, Nepal’s foreign minister, told the country’s parliament.” Etymology
From French avalanche, from Franco-Provençal (Savoy) avalançhe, blend of aval (“downhill”) and standard lavençhe, from Vulgar Latin *labanka (compare Occitan lavanca, Italian valanga), of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of Late Latin lābīna (“landslide”) (compare Franco-Provençal (Dauphiné) lavino, Romansh lavina), from Latin lābēs, from lābor (“to slip, slide”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
In Music
Avalanche · 1971 · Folk music
- Artist:
- Leonard Cohen
- Album:
- Songs of Love and Hate
Leonard Cohen’s 1971 folk track features a dark and heavy atmosphere. The title uses the word figuratively to describe an overwhelming emotional weight that buries the narrator, rather than a literal slide of snow down a mountain.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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