swamping

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   Covering something with water so that it sinks or becomes flooded.

   Grammar: Takes an object: the waves swamped the boat.

   Patterns

   • swamp something
   • be swamped by something

   Heavy rain was swamping the low fields near the river.

   The little boat was swamping fast, so the crew bailed water out with buckets.

   High waves swamped the dock and pulled several small boats under.

2. 2verbtransitivefigurative

   Giving someone more of something than they can deal with.

   Grammar: Often used in the passive with with: we were swamped with work.

   Patterns

   • swamp someone with something
   • be swamped with something
   • be swamped by something

   The help desk was swamping new employees with forms on their first day.

   Orders were swamping the small bakery before the holidays.

   She stopped answering emails because messages were swamping her inbox.

3. 3noununcountablerare

   The act of covering land or a boat with water, or the state of being covered.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable; the more everyday noun is flooding.

   Patterns

   • the swamping of something

   The swamping of the marsh destroyed many bird nests.

   Engineers studied the swamping of the lower streets after the storm.

Word forms

Common combinations

swamp someone with work

The new manager swamped us with work in the first week.

be swamped with requests

After the ad aired, the office was swamped with requests.

swamp the boat

A sudden wave swamped the boat near the shore.

be swamped by debt

Many families were swamped by debt after the factory closed.

swamp the market

Cheap imports swamped the market within a year.

Synonyms and how they differ

flood

Flood is the everyday word for water covering land; swamp is stronger and suggests something being overwhelmed or sunk.

overwhelm

Overwhelm is the usual choice for too much work or emotion; swamp is more informal and often passive.

engulf

Engulf is more literary and suggests being completely surrounded or swallowed up.

Opposites

Word family

swamp noun

An area of soft, wet land where water collects.

swampy adjective

Wet and soft like a swamp.

swamped adjective

Having far too much to do or deal with.

Commonly confused: swamping or swooping?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “swamping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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