Words / B2

DEL-yooj/ˈdeljuːdʒ/

A deluge is a sudden very heavy fall of rain: a deluge of rain; after the deluge. It is also a huge number of things arriving at once: a deluge of emails. Flood is a close twin; downpour is everyday. Quote the deluge in mm, then the return period. Mix-up: deluge vs deluxe; dilution; do not write deluge for drizzle in the table.

Meaning

A sudden very heavy fall of rain; also a huge number of things arriving at once (a deluge of).

Examples

• “Quote the deluge in mm, then the return period, the geography paper said.”
• “A deluge of complaints featured in the minutes, which is the huge-number sense — still quote the n.”

Good to know

a deluge of rain / water; a deluge of + noun. Close: flood / downpour. Trap: deluxe / drizzle. Geography and news. A sudden flood of rain or of things — quote mm or the n.

Near in meaning

downpour, flood, torrent

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