# flood

> English word · Noun · IPA /flʌd/ · frequency rank #4,018

## Definitions
1. An overflow of a large amount of water (usually disastrous) from a lake or other body of water due to excessive rainfall or other input of water.
2. A large number or quantity of anything appearing more rapidly than can easily be dealt with.
3. The flowing in of the tide, opposed to the ebb.
4. A floodlight.
5. Menstrual discharge; menses.
6. Water as opposed to land.

## Etymology
From Middle English flod, from Old English flōd, from Proto-West Germanic *flōdu, from Proto-Germanic *flōduz, from *plew- (“to flow”). Cognate with Scots flude, fluid, Saterland Frisian Floud, Dutch vloed, German Flut, Danish flod, Icelandic flóð, and Gothic 𐍆𐌻𐍉𐌳𐌿𐍃 (flōdus).

## Easily confused with
- **foo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-foo)
- **food** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-food)
- **foot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-foot)
- **flow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flow)
- **ford** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-ford)
- **fool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-fool)
- **fond** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-fond)
- **flop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flop)
- **flor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flor)
- **floor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-floor)
- **foods** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-foods)
- **fluid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-fluid)
- **flows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flows)
- **flour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flour)
- **flown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flown)
- **Floyd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-floyd)
- **flora** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flora)
- **FLOPS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-flops)
- **floss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-floss)
- **floods** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flood-vs-floods)

## Common misspellings (7)
`fflood`, `fllood`, `flod`, `flodo`, `floodd`, `folod`, `lfood`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/flood