awash

¹ American  

[uh-wosh, uh-wawsh] / əˈwɒʃ, əˈwɔʃ /

adjective

1. Nautical.

   1. just level with or scarcely above the surface of the water, so that waves break over the top.

   2. overflowing with water, as the upper deck of a ship in a heavy sea.

2. covered with water.

3. washing about; tossed about by the waves.

4. covered, filled, or crowded.

   streets awash with shoppers; a garden awash in brilliant colors.

---

Awash ² American  

[ah-wahsh] / ˈɑ wɑʃ /

Also Hawash

noun

1. a river in E Ethiopia, flowing NE through the Great Rift Valley to near the Djibouti border. 500 miles (805 km) long.

---

awash British  

/ əˈwɒʃ /

adverb

1. at a level even with the surface of the sea

2. washed over by the waves

---

Etymology

Origin of awash

First recorded in 1825–35; a- ¹ + wash

Example Sentences

It gets inside your head, infecting the digital realm so connected to our collective psyches, awash in social media and streaming algorithms.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

With that gone, sales could fall 50% in 2026, leaving the industry awash in unused EV capacity.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Keeping a viewing audience engaged in a world awash in YouTube and TikTok videos will provide Netflix plenty of drama on its own.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

Instead, he framed the battle for a game's success as more centred around their attention than their wallets, adding: "In a challenged attention economy, where consumers are awash with choice, doing something interesting is key."

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

In every room, save Radar’s, their home was awash in black Santadom—plaster and plastic and marble and clay and wood and resin and cloth.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Related Words

• afloat
• flooded
• inundated