swamp

Word family

Related topics: Nature, Geography

swamp1 /swɒmp $ swɑːmp/ noun [countableC, uncountableU]

DNSGland that is always very wet or covered with a layer of water 沼泽（地）

—swampy adjectiveadj

the soft, swampy ground

软软的沼泽地

Examples from the Corpus

swamp• The ceaseless deluge had turned the small front yard of the cottage into a swamp.• Tax revenues allocated for education disappeared into a swamp of corruption.• The middle of United's notorious pitch was a swamp long before kick-off, posing the threat of stamina-sapping conditions.• With its loss of flow, the river's old mouth had silted up, thus forming the lagoon and swamp.• On the walls are framed prints of herons and egrets in cypress swamps and watery glades.• But witnesses in a nearby aircraft said the plane flew directly into the swamp.• The following day we flew into the swamps in a six-seater plane.

swamp2 verb [transitiveT]

1 GETto suddenly give someone a lot of work, problems etc to deal with 使陷入〔大量工作〕；使面临〔大量问题〕 SYN inundate

be swamped by/with something

We’ve been swamped with phone calls since the advert appeared.

自从广告出来后，电话多得使我们应接不暇。

2 to go somewhere or surround something in large numbers, especially in a short period of time 蜂拥

be swamped by/with something

In the summer the village is swamped by visitors.

夏天，村子里挤满游客。

n Grammar

Swamp is usually passive in meanings 1 and 2.

3 WETto suddenly cover an area with a lot of water 〔骤然〕淹没，浸没 SYN flood

Huge waves swamped the vessel.

巨浪吞没了那艘船。

Examples from the Corpus

swamp• Now the fixes will get fewer; and sheer traffic growth will soon swamp any gains.• The river jumped its banks and swamped hundreds of homes.• There are extra shopping centres and the Lady Godiva statue now has a marquee-like canopy swamping it.• They swamped me with their cameras, tape recorders and notebooks.• A kid would challenge me and fear would rise inside my stomach like fog on the Bay and swamp me.• Still, the aspect of that news which affected himself was uppermost in his mind, threatening to swamp such minor worries.• It crushes our potentialities and invades our lives with its imported products and televised movies that swamp the airwaves.• About 3000 years ago a tidal wave swamped the coastal lowlands of Greece, causing massive destruction.• The dam burst, swamping the valley and hundreds of homes.• Tension choked them: they could feel it rising up their throats, threatening to swamp their brains.• Water the young plants well, but don't swamp them.

be swamped by/with something• A radio phone-in was swamped with complaints yesterday about Sure Style Windows salesmen working in Cleveland.• A special freephone advice line was opened up last Tuesday and was swamped by hundreds of callers.• Nevertheless, Toyota was swamped with job applications.• She was swamped by a wave of impotent anger at and violent dislike for the man whose dogged persistence bordered on persecution.• Tree services were swamped with calls from residents and firewood lots had to turn away truckloads of wood.• We are swamped with trifle, bombarded with toasts and the General's after-dinner speech.

be swamped by/with something• A radio phone-in was swamped with complaints yesterday about Sure Style Windows salesmen working in Cleveland.• A special freephone advice line was opened up last Tuesday and was swamped by hundreds of callers.• Diana was swamped by contrary emotions.• Nevertheless, Toyota was swamped with job applications.• She was swamped by a wave of impotent anger at and violent dislike for the man whose dogged persistence bordered on persecution.• Tree services were swamped with calls from residents and firewood lots had to turn away truckloads of wood.• Watching him eat canned pears, she was swamped by a sense of the horror of what she was about to do.• We are swamped with trifle, bombarded with toasts and the General's after-dinner speech.

From Longman Business Dictionary

swampswamp /swɒmpswɑːmp/ verb [transitiveT]

1to suddenly give someone a lot of work or things to deal with

The flood of orders swamped some understaffed trading desks.

be swamped (with something)

Brokers said they were swamped with calls after the announcement.

2if goods or manufacturers swamp an economy, market etc, there are so many of them available that the price of goods becomes very low

Cheap imports still swamp U.S. sales in electronic appliances.

swamp something with something

The moment they see a chance to make money, mining companiesswamp the market with new shares.

Origin swamp1

(1600-1700) sump “swamp” ((15-20 centuries)); → SUMP