flooding: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to formal; common in news, technical, and everyday contexts.
Quick answer
What does “flooding” mean?
The act or process of an area being covered with water, especially when it is normally dry.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act or process of an area being covered with water, especially when it is normally dry.
A large, overwhelming amount or flow of something; the process of filling or being filled with an excess of something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. 'Flash flooding' is more common in US weather reports. In UK technical contexts, 'fluvial flooding' (from rivers) is a specific term.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. Strongly associated with natural disaster, damage, and crisis.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK media due to climate and geography, but the word is very common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “flooding” in a Sentence
Flooding in [PLACE]Flooding of [AREA/THING]Flooding caused by [SOURCE]Flooding from [SOURCE][VERB] flooding (e.g., prevent, experience)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “flooding” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The river is likely to flood the surrounding meadows.
- Memories came flooding back when she visited her old school.
American English
- The market was flooded with cheap imports.
- After the hurricane, calls flooded the emergency lines.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Disruption to supply chains due to flooding in the industrial region.
Academic
The study examines the socio-economic impact of recurrent flooding on coastal communities.
Everyday
The heavy rain last night caused flooding on our street.
Technical
The engineers implemented a sustainable drainage system to mitigate urban flooding.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “flooding”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “flooding”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “flooding”
- Using 'flood' (noun) when 'flooding' (process/event) is needed: 'There was a big flood in the city' vs 'The flooding in the city was severe.'
- Misspelling as 'fluding'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'A flood' is a countable event (e.g., 'There was a flood last year'). 'Flooding' is an uncountable noun referring to the process or phenomenon (e.g., 'The area is at risk of flooding').
Rarely. It is almost always negative or neutral in a descriptive sense. Metaphorically, 'flooding with light' can be positive, but 'flooding' itself implies an excess.
Yes. Flash flooding occurs very suddenly, often with little warning, typically due to intense rainfall over a short period. General flooding may develop more slowly from prolonged rain or rising rivers.
It depends. Use 'in' for location ('flooding in Yorkshire'), 'of' for what is flooded ('flooding of the basement'), 'from' for the source ('flooding from the burst pipe'), and 'caused by' for the cause ('flooding caused by the hurricane').
The act or process of an area being covered with water, especially when it is normally dry.
Flooding is usually neutral to formal; common in news, technical, and everyday contexts. in register.
Flooding: in British English it is pronounced /ˈflʌd.ɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈflʌd.ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Baptism by fire (and flood)”
- “A flood of tears”
- “Come flooding back (memories)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'FLOOD' + 'ING' like a river 'DOING' its worst – overflowing and covering everything.
Conceptual Metaphor
FLOODING IS AN OVERWHELMING FORCE (e.g., flooding of emotions, flooding the market, flooding the zone).
Practice
Quiz
In a technical or environmental context, what does 'mitigate flooding' mean?