# flooded

/ˈfɫədəd/ (US) · /flˈʌdɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flooded
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. covered with water

verb · CEFR B1

to cover a place with a large amount of water.

For teachers: to inundate an area with water, typically due to heavy rain or a river breaking its banks.

- The heavy rain flooded the basement within just a few hours.
- The river burst its banks and flooded the entire valley, forcing hundreds of residents to seek higher ground before the roads became impassable.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice when describing the state of a building or area.

### 2. filled with things or people

verb · CEFR B2

to arrive in a place in very large numbers at the same time.

For teachers: to arrive or enter in great numbers; to overwhelm a space or system with volume.

- Fans flooded the streets after their team won the championship.
- Complaints flooded the customer service department following the announcement of the price increase, causing the phone lines to crash.

Usage: Frequently used with 'into' or 'with'.

### 3. covered or filled

adjective · CEFR B1

describes a place that is currently under water or full of something.

For teachers: functioning as a participial adjective to describe a state of being inundated or overwhelmed.

- The flooded roads made it impossible for us to drive to work.
- The flooded engine refused to start, leaving the driver stranded in the middle of the storm.

## Examples

- Heavy rain flooded the streets this morning.
- The customer service department was flooded with complaints after the website crashed during the holiday sale.
- When the river banks finally burst, the rising tide flooded the lower valley, forcing residents to seek higher ground before the emergency services could arrive with rescue boats.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.