flood

Compared meaning: to be overwhelmed by a large amount of something (verb).

比较义项：被大量事物（尤指液体、请求、信息等）淹没或压得不堪重负（动词，常用被动语态）。

• flood 本词

  The plainest and most common of the four; used both literally for water covering a place and figuratively for a sudden huge influx, especially in the fixed phrase "flood the market".

  四词中语气最中性、最常用；既可用于字面上的水淹没某处，也常比喻大量事物突然涌入，尤其常见于固定搭配“flood the market（涌入市场）”。

  Cheap imports flooded the market, driving domestic prices down sharply.

  廉价进口商品涌入市场，导致国内价格大幅下跌。

• swamp

  Emphasizes being weighed down and unable to cope, especially with work or tasks; more informal than the others and rarely used for literal water.

  强调因事务繁重而被压得应付不过来，尤指工作或任务；比其余几个词更口语化，很少用于字面上的水淹。

  The customer-service team was swamped with calls after the app crashed and couldn't keep up.

  应用程序崩溃后，客服团队被电话淹没，忙不过来。

• inundate

  More formal and slightly bureaucratic in tone; stresses being overwhelmed by an excessive quantity of things like applications, complaints or requests.

  语气更正式，略带公文色彩；强调被过量的事物（如申请、投诉、请求）淹没，常见于机构或正式场合。

  The scholarship office was inundated with applications from students across the country.

  奖学金办公室被来自全国各地学生的申请淹没。

• deluge

  Stresses a sudden, forceful rush, comparing the influx to a heavy downpour; used passively and sounds dramatic or journalistic.

  强调涌来的势头突然而猛烈，如同倾盆大雨；常用被动语态，语气最为夸张、带有新闻报道式的戏剧感。

  Angry emails deluged the company's inbox within minutes of the announcement.

  公告发布后几分钟内，愤怒的邮件便如潮水般涌入公司邮箱。

Flood, swamp, inundate, and deluge all mean to be overwhelmed by a large amount of something. Flood is the most common word. Swamp is informal, about being unable to cope with work. Inundate is formal, for excessive requests. Deluge stresses a sudden, forceful rush.

这四个词在“被大量事物压得不堪重负”这一义项上意思相近，但语气强弱、正式程度和搭配习惯不同：flood最常用，既可指字面上的水淹，也常比喻大量事物突然涌入；swamp偏口语，强调因事务繁重而应付不过来；inundate较为正式，多见于机构或书面语境；deluge强调来势突然猛烈，语气最为夸张。这里不比较swamp作名词时“沼泽”的意思。