inundated

Inundated is the past tense form and past participle of the verb inundate. It means to flood or cover with water, or to overwhelm someone or something with a large amount of material, tasks, or questions. The term derives from Latin inundare, from in- meaning “upon” and unda meaning “wave.”

In a literal, hydrological sense, an area is inundated when rising water levels submerge land, often as a result of heavy rainfall, river overflow, storm surge, or other flood events. Inundation can affect infrastructure, agriculture, and housing, and is monitored by authorities for hazard assessment and relief planning. The noun inundation is commonly used to describe the flood event itself or the extent of water intrusion.

In figurative usage, inundated describes being overwhelmed by a large volume of non-water stimuli. For example, a department may be inundated with inquiries or a person may be inundated with emails. Both “inundated with” and “inundated by” are encountered in contemporary usage, with the choice of preposition depending on the source and emphasis.

Related terms include inundation (the act or result of inundating) and inundate (the verb). The word carries a sense of overwhelming force—whether water or information—often implying a degree of disruption or strain. In casual language, it is common but may be perceived as formal; in technical contexts, it appears in discussions of floods, disaster response, and capacity management.