inundate

/ˈɪn.ənˌdeɪt/

//ˈɪn.ənˌdeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"inundate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inundate” is uncommon English (frequency #87,406 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,406
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cover with large amounts of water; to flood.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inundate · inundate · English

inundate · rank #87,406 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,406
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Invercargill

Nearest frequency peer: Invercargill (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “inundate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “inundate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for inundate
PropertyValue
Headwordinundate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɪn.ənˌdeɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#87,406
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “inundate” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).inundatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Invercargill” (#87,407), “ipe” (#87,408), “insincerity” (#87,403). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inundate” is #87,406. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inundate is uncommon English at frequency #87,406 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɪn.ənˌdeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for inundate in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin inundātus, the perfect passive participle of inundō (“to flood, overflow”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- + undō (“to overflow, wave”), from unda (“wave”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is inundate, spelled I-N-U-N-D-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cover with large amounts of water; to flood.
  2. 2
    To overwhelm.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how inundate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Dutch would sometimes inundate the land to hinder the Spanish army.
  2. The agency was inundated with phone calls.

Etymology

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin inundātus, the perfect passive participle of inundō (“to flood, overflow”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- + undō (“to overflow, wave”), from unda (“wave”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

Synonyms

swampdelugefloodbeflooddelugefloodbeflood

This word in other languages

inundar(Español)inonder(Français)überfluten(Deutsch)inundar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "inundate"?
"inundate" is spelled I-N-U-N-D-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪn.ənˌdeɪt/.
What does "inundate" mean?
As a verb, "inundate" means: To cover with large amounts of water; to flood.
How do you pronounce "inundate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inundate" is /ˈɪn.ənˌdeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "inundate"?
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin inundātus, the perfect passive participle of inundō (“to flood, overflow”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- + undō (“to overflow, wave”), from unda (“wave”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "inundate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

improver#87,395jetliner#87,421Holmberg#87,370Hispania#87,366

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list