English Reference
Noun

deluge

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /ˈdɛɫjudʒ/ UK /dˈɛljuːdʒ/ del·uge UK spelling deluged, deluges Religion

n.a very heavy rain or a sudden flood. It can also mean a huge amount of things that arrive all at once, like emails or questions.

n.a severe flood or a heavy downpour of rain; metaphorically, an overwhelming amount or number of something. Often used with 'of' to describe a sudden influx of information or requests.


SIMPLE

The office received a deluge of complaints after the power cut.

CONTEXTUAL

The sudden deluge turned the quiet village streets into rushing rivers within minutes.

COMPLEX

Following the announcement of the new policy, the customer service department struggled to manage the deluge of inquiries that flooded their phone lines and email inboxes.

Usage

Often appears in the singular form when used metaphorically ('a deluge of').

The named storm Lala has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it prepares to bear down on the Big Island of Hawaii with a deluge of heavy rain.

Al Jazeera· 15 Aug 2026

The deluge comes after a series of storms swept through Japan and neighbouring countries this week, in what meteorologists forecast to be an unusually active typhoon season.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated