English
swamp
Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /swɒmp/
  • (America) IPA: /swɑmp/
Noun

swamp (plural swamps)

  1. A piece of wet, spongy land; low ground saturated with water; soft, wet ground which may have a growth of certain kinds of trees, but is unfit for agricultural or pastoral purposes.
  2. A type of wetland that stretches for vast distances, and is home to many creatures which have adapted specifically to that environment.
  3. (figurative) A place or situation that is foul or where progress is difficult.
Translations Verb

swamp (swamps, present participle swamping; past and past participle swamped)

  1. To drench or fill with water.
    The boat was swamped in the storm.
  2. To overwhelm; to make too busy, or overrun the capacity of.
    I have been swamped with paperwork ever since they started using the new system.
    • 2006, New York Times ↗,
      Mr. Spitzer’s defeat of his Democratic opponent ... ended a primary season in which Hillary Rodham Clinton swamped an antiwar challenger for renomination to the Senate.
  3. (figurative) To plunge into difficulties and perils; to overwhelm; to ruin; to wreck.
    • J. R. Green
      The Whig majority of the house of Lords was swamped by the creation of twelve Tory peers.
    • W. Hamilton
      Having swamped himself in following the ignis fatuus of a theory […]
Translations

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