submerge

[ suhb-murj ]

verb (used with object)

, sub·merged, sub·merg·ing.

1. to put or sink below the surface of water or any other enveloping medium.

   Synonyms: submerse

2. to cover or overflow with water; immerse.

   Synonyms: engulf, inundate, flood

3. to cover over; suppress; conceal; obscure; repress:

   His aspirations were submerged by the necessity of making a living.

verb (used without object)

, sub·merged, sub·merg·ing.

1. to sink or plunge under water or beneath the surface of any enveloping medium.
2. to be covered or lost from sight.

submerge

/ səbˈmɜːs; səbˈmɜːdʒ; səbˈmɜːʃən /

verb

1. to plunge, sink, or dive or cause to plunge, sink, or dive below the surface of water, etc
2. tr to cover with water or some other liquid
3. tr to hide; suppress
4. tr to overwhelm, as with work, difficulties, etc

Derived Forms

• subˈmergence, noun

Other Words From

• sub·mer·gence noun
• re·sub·merge verb resubmerged resubmerging
• un·sub·merg·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of submerge¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin submergere, equivalent to sub- sub- + mergere “to dip, immerse”; merge

Word History and Origins

Origin of submerge¹

C17: from Latin submergere, from sub- + mergere to immerse

Example Sentences

Being submerged in the water for so long had erased any chance of forensic clues that might help police.

From BBC

In Catalonia, train services have been suspended due to adverse weather conditions, while footage shared online appears to show vehicles submerged in floodwater on roads.

From BBC

The 4,543-square-mile sanctuary, located off California’s rugged Central Coast, would prohibit oil drilling and offer other protections to an area that encompasses numerous cultural resources, including the suspected remains of ancient, submerged villages.

From Los Angeles Times

At Venice Bay Park, a mobile home park in Venice, several homes were partially submerged in water.

From Los Angeles Times

Flash floods and landslides in central Bosnia-Herzegovina have left at least 18 people dead, with towns and villages cut off and reports in some places of homes being almost submerged.

From BBC

Related Words

• deluge
• douse
• drench
• drown
• engulf
• flood
• immerse
• inundate
• overflow
• overwhelm
• sink
• subside
• swamp