Deluge
mediumNegative toneDEL-yooj
noun
Definition
A severe flood; an overwhelming amount of something
Memory hook
DEL-UGE: A HUGE flood -- like Noah's deluge drowning everything.
Word roots
diluvium— flood(Latin)
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The river broke its banks, causing a deluge in the valley.”
“She received a deluge of emails after the announcement.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The river broke its banks, causing a ______ in the valley.”
Show answer
deluge
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Deluge is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "flood" or "inundation" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "drought".
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